Look into my Eyes
by Usually Immaculate Aristocrat
Summary: Draco and Harry are paired up in a transfigurations project to become Animagi. on their path to discover their true animal form, a prophecy comes to play:Permanent Haitus So sorry, but the author has lost the plot
1. 1: the hat's warning

**_Intro: this was a single chapter, but it got deleted. So here are the stats:_**

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**_This is a SLASH fic. It involves Draco and Harry (who else?) if you have any objections to this pairing, then please press the back button on your browser now._**

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**_Their relationship will be gradual, but eventually it will get passionate.  This means possible R factor._**

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**_I'm not actually sure about the plot yet, as I have only written a chapter very far into the story, I now have to develop the story, so am open to some suggestions. Please review with ideas, or email me at Haunterb32662@aol.com._**

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**_What have I forgotten, um… *thinks *… *gives up thinking* _**

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**_  I have a confession to make, I Am J.K. Rowling's Father!!!! Ok, sorry..._**

**_       I AM J.K Rowling!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *laughs manically* I own Draco!!!!! WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! _**

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**_*recovers from random fit of madness* I do not own Harry or Draco *sobs...* so don't sue me, Please!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

**_This story has ingrained POVs a lot.  I ALSO HAVE MANY DIFFERENT THOUGHT STREAMS LONG WITH THE NARRATION, HERE IS A KEY:_**

NORMAL TEXT.****

~~~    = SWITCH POV.

STRESSED WORDS IN SPEECH

_HARRY THOUGHT_

**DRACO THOUGHT**

**_A/N, OR PROPHESY OF SOME KIND._**

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**_I already have a beta-reader. Please welcome to the stage… the Wonderful… Anniacuru!!!!! You really should check her work out if you like LOTR. But Anyway, on with the show…. _**

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**_And Don't Forget to REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!_**

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**_Welcome to the story, please enjoy, and review at the end. _**

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**_Just a reminder:_**

**Draco thought.**

_Harry thought._

Stressed speech

Normal.

~~ = pov change.

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**_CHAPTER 1. _**

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_Another day, another fight; it seems so monotonous. I don't even have to think about it anymore. He would sneer, and do his "oh-so-famous" smirk; I just don't care anymore, and would walk away to fight another day… again…_

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**Another dull day, another boring lesson.**** That's why I evoke these conflicts; they at least break the tedium….   Oh, there he is now, surrounded by his bloody friends, damn them!!!! Anyway, I'll fix them, they're definitely too happy for a morning with double potions. I don't mind that much, but then again, Snape doesn't despise me. Oh well. Here we go again…**

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"Hey, Potter, Has your scar hurt today? It would be an awful shame if it hadn't, because then your friends would have to go find someone else to chum up to, to find out what's going on with Voldemort!" Draco decided to get the jeer over and done with, before the lesson, so Weasley would be fuming, and hopefully mess up the work.

"That was uncalled for, Malfoy. Harry knows that we would never just be his friends for info on V-V--v His movements!" ** Typical, that beaver filth would  stick up for Potter…__**

"What, Scared, Granger? Won't dare to say his name in case he'll hear you?"

Harry had had enough, "Shove off, Malfoy, or the next time your father tries to kill me, I'll inform him of you socialising with a **_'_Mudblood****_'_ like _Granger_" **

Hermione looked put out by her idol's words. But she tried not to show it. The idol himself, was trying to persuade his lapdog not to attack me. Like it would matter anyway, he's hopeless at everything. I was about to point this out, but our dearest Professor swept into the room.

"Everyone, be quiet." **Cheery as always…** "Today we are learning a complicated potion, so interruptions will not be tolerated! Pair up, Granger, Parkinson, Malfoy, Potter. And Potter, try not to mess it up for Malfoy, because you are both going to have the same mark." **No Fair!  **"Begin!" the instructions appeared on the board to a very complicated looking potion for serenity. **He was right, it was a tricky one. And it required teamwork. Why couldn't he have just not tried to torture Potter today? He'll mess this up completely!**

Harry turned to his partner begrudgingly, and said rather tiredly, "Malfoy, try and shut up, it would be a pity for you to receive my usual marks for this subject; it would mar your perfect record!" 

"Then let me do as much of it as I can, so you don't mess it up" he shrugged and sat down, watching me. It was unnerving. "Stop staring at me"

"Why?"

"Do you want good marks or not?" I snapped. **Unlike him, I _had parents breathing down my neck about my grades. It would not bode well for me to fail. My father wanted only the best from me, I don't see why, according to Snape, my father had rubbish grades for everything but some horticulture course and that was only because he was banging the teacher. I shuddered. **Yuck…**_**

**I don't actually think Potter cares about if we fail, damn the idiot anyway. **I worked at the potion while he sat there watching me. It was really annoying, but I hadn't the energy to yell at him. "It's your turn now. You Have to work too, you know." He stood up. **Wow, he's taking orders! "**Pour this in on the count of three, one, two, Three…" he poured the ingredient into the cauldron as I did. The mixture turned a disgusting beige colour. But it was correct. So I didn't mind. He sat back down and recommenced to watch me. 

I finally snapped, "Potter, I know I'm beautiful, but I wouldn't like to hear it from you!" **although it would be damn funny.**

"huh? Oh, sorry Malfoy." **Typical, he wasn't listening to a word I was saying, and was off in his own little world, probably full of little happy bunnies singing 'la, la la' but wait, had he _apologised? Obviously in his messed up world, you don't recognise people. Hello? I'm his enemy. His rival, and he still apologised, I wonder what's going on in his mind right now, I bet he is thinking about his 'friends' and what he would do with them now. I wonder… _**

**"**SHIT!!!**"**

I had just poured about twenty times the proper amount of some green stuff into the cauldron. It turned a bright yellow. Snape practically ran over to see why I had sworn. At my yell, every other student who had been working in the silence dropped their ingredients into their cauldrons. Many were about to explode, as were their owners…

 "To what to we owe this interruption, Malfoy" he looked furious.

 **Crap, I was in trouble. Snape's sickly sweet tone was only used when he was about to yell someone deaf. Either that, or make them try their concoction. I hoped he would blame Potter.**

** "**Sir, it was Potter's fault!" **he distracted me! "He left me to myself. I can't do this potion alone, and he wasn't helping. I really tried…" ****sucking up was demeaning, but, the end defeats the means.**

 "I have no doubt of Potter's guilt, but, your expletive caused everyone else to fail. I will retake this potion test at lunch. And you will not attend." **Bastard!  "You will go to Dumbledore now." ****Huh? Me? In Potions? "You too Potter. Detention and 20 points off Gryffindor and it hurts me to say this, 5 off Slytherin. My lessons will not be messed up by infant rivalry. This potion is for Peace. You have caused Chaos. Now go." ** Bloody hell, what's up with him?****

Potter left with no objections, I guess he's used to it by now. In my head I hummed a song I had once heard travelling through London. **'We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Hogwarts!' I know, it's lame, but I had to cheer up. The headmaster's pet beside me would probably get off Scott free. And I'd be left with an irate potions master in detention. My father would kill me…**

We arrived at the entrance to Dumbledore's office. I reeled off a dozen or so sweets before Potter stepped in. 

"Allow me…" he said exactly the same sweets as I had said, but at his voice, the door opened. **Voice bloody activated, he probably set it for sweets to make you look ridiculous. **

I pushed ahead and went into the head's office. It was shabby to say the least. Worse than last time I came, but that was with my father, he probably tidied it up for that meeting.The colours were mixed; each wall was a different house colour. His desk was by the Gryffindor wall. **Figures**…

"What are you two doing in here?

Methinks you back away in fear."

**The stupid sorting hat was leering at me. It looked ridiculous. I guess that's a theme in here. Potter, on the other hand, was intrigued, well, he doesn't see magic every day, does he? ****Moron****.**

"Can you only speak in rhyme? Isn't that hard?" **bloody hell, he was talking to a hat, how sad can you get?**

"Yes, 'tis true. But do not despair

 It is a life grand and fair,

To foretell wizards destinies

 It's an honour. I need no fees!

But you two are warring foes,

I feel tension in my toes." **Pathetic rhyme!**

"You don't have toes! All that to make a couplet! You're nothing but a stupid hat!" 

"Shhh, I want to hear what he says!" **can Potter get more childish? **"Go on," Harry urged on the hat.

"Ahem,

Methinks your partner does like to hear

So if you want, come more near." Harry walked up to the hat on the shelf, curiosity burning in his emerald eyes.

"Time has come to be nice not mean, 

 You'll know it when silver meets green."

"But what do you mean?" Harry was trying to decipher the message, "I don't understand! Green and silver, I don't get it!" **how dense can you get? He was leaning on a wall of those colours… it meant be nice to Slytherin, moron. I decided to let him figure it out. He looked so perplexed at the 'prediction' by the senile hat. Those Gryffindors, honestly! But I wished the hat hadn't stared at me, it was starting to get really annoying. **

"Welcome to my office, I hope you have had an enlightening time" **man, the Head really should get that eye twitch fixed… **"Now, why, may I ask, are you here? **As if you didn't know. **

Immediately Harry answered, "Snape sent us, we got distracted in Potions." **Suck up.**

"Fighting again?"

"No, just getting a potion wrong." **True, but making others do so as well. Like I'm gonna mention that.**

"All right, you received a detention? I'll talk to Professor Snape about it. The deductions of your house points will remain though. You may go" **could be worse. I could have been stuck with Potter _in_ detention. I wonder why Snape was so aggravated today, I mean, Longbottom messes up every lesson, without my help. Another stress related problem of the adult world, I'll pass.**

The Headmaster watched them leave with twinkling eyes.

"Oh, and boys? Stay out of trouble." 

**Will do… Not.**


	2. 2: a little clearer

**_Hello, and welcome to Chapter 2! Thank you all who reviewed… _**

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**_Thank-yous:_**

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**_Anniacuru_****_: my wonderful beta reader. You even took the trouble to review!!!! *hands out honey-covered Draco*_**

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**_Obviations: I hope you like this chapter! *hands out honey-covered Draco and Sirius*_**

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**_Jessie C: I hope you like this chapter, you are my only reviewer so far who I haven't actually asked to review me. Thank you! *hands out your choice of Draco or Harry, honey covered, of course*_**

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**_Morbid Mind: aw, I hope your head feels better, don't hit it on my behalf. I hope you like this chapter!_**

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**_To others who read this after it's posted, Enjoy! And please review!!!_**

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**_KEY:_**

_Harry's thoughts.___

**Draco's thoughts.******

**_a/n_****_ or important poetic line._**

Normal text.

Stressed speech

~~~ = pov change

**_CHAPTER 2_**

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Nice, not mean, silver meets green…

_What does it mean?_ Harry had pondered on the couplet for a few hours already, yet he could grasp neither head nor tail of it.

_Is it to do with money? Silver… sickle, green… muggle notes... was it: wizards, be nice to muggles?_ No, he felt it was more specific to him then that.

_Houses? But Slytherin has both of those colours, so how could they meet? Unless it was different traits._ _Then why didn't it include Malfoy? It stared at him, was that just because he had insulted it, or was it because it was about him?_

Harry remembered Malfoy's face; his scornful smirk playing on his lips, his raised eyebrows, his deep grey eyes, '_like his heart' Harry mused, '_eyes are the windows unto the soul, and his were cold and forbidding_' for some reason, he couldn't picture his eyes… Harry frowned, but shrugged it off. "I must be tired." He scrambled off his seat on the ledge of the owlery, and made for the door, to be confronted by a pair of slightly annoyed, bemused eyes. They were the ones he was trying to picture…_

Harry realised the reason he couldn't picture them; they weren't the steel grey he had thought, but a sharp silver, like mercury. They were an elusive liquid, and burned into him like fire. Yet Harry didn't want to break eye contact; he wanted to dive head-first into the cool water of his irises. His intuition was already leap, to get deeper into Draco, where he could feel calm, and safe. Thoughts of ice-cream and waterfalls rushed through Harry's already crowded mind; they seemed to complement the shade of the boy's eyes. They were beautiful, like the flame of the aurora borealis, elusive, out of reach, yet, somehow tangible. _People yearn for the flame denied to them._

The eyes which had inspired such musing narrowed back from mild astonishment to a kind of condescending annoyance.

 "My, my Potter, out of bed this late!" Draco tutted disparagingly, "as a Prefect, it is my duty to report your little outing"

"Do what you want, Malfoy." Harry had gotten too lost in the other's eyes to fully register the threat of punishment.

Malfoy didn't want to ask, but curiosity got the better of him, "Why are you here, Potter? Still thinking about that stupid _'prophesy'?" Harry nodded, his tired eyes betraying just how long he had been troubled. "Has it occurred to you that it is about my house? You know, the evil, conniving ones, Sly-the-rin?"_

"Yeah, but they're both your colours, so how would they meet?" Harry was desperate enough for an answer he was open to suggestions, even from his antagonist.

"Well frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

"Ok then" Harry walked back to the ledge and sat back down to think some more. He wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway.

"Didn't you hear me?" Draco asked incredulous of Harry's actions "I said I'd report you!"

"Go away Malfoy, I'm trying to think."

"I know that that is a relatively rare process for you, but hurry it up."

"Why do you care?"

"Good question, which will be rapidly disregarded entirely, I don't. So, I'll see you around." Draco turned towards the door. "Oh, and Potter, hats generally cover others' brains, they don't own any themselves."

"Whatever, Malfoy."

Draco made to leave, but a manic glint in Harry's forest green orbs made him double back to hear what the musing boy was muttering to himself. He was wrapped up his thoughts on Draco's eyes. He smiled, and concluded:

"**_Only people who don't know how to play with fire get burned_**"

Draco laughed softly, he ha heard this expression before, and marvelled at its truth. But, he simply _had_ to have to last word, and walked up to Harry, saying: 

"**_Only fires which stay unchanging, get tamed_**"

Draco left the Owlery complete with returning owls, and a very confused Gryffindor. 

Harry sat, thought lines furrowing his brow, his glazed green eyes mirroring the thought which had just occurred to him, "Malfoy, his eyes, they're silver…"


	3. 3: new timetables

**_Hi, welcome to chapter 3, thank you all for reviewing; all of you! _**

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**_Anniacuru: my beta, I tried to get Draco to kiss Casey, your character, but he is being rather stubborn. _**

**_Draco: I'm straight! How many bloody times to I have to tell you!!! ___**

**_Me: Shut up, kiss him. *Draco pouts* _**

**_Casey: _**you know you want to… 

**_*Draco pouts harder* *I ignore his pouts* *Pouts like his life depends on it* *Casey can't resist, and kisses him* *Harry and I sulk while Casey inflicts a fiery tonsil cleaning service on Draco* _**

**_Anyway, *sulk*_**

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**_Jessie C: thanks for your reviews! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Draco is busy at the moment, *glares at Anniacuru, who grins* and Harry is busy sulking, so may I offer any teacher or other student, Snape perhaps? *shudders* or Blaise? He is quite handsome…_**

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**_Obviations: it will all become clear soon! Hope you like this chapter! Draco is busy at the moment, *glares at Anniacuru, who beams* and Harry is busy sulking, so here's a honey covered Sirius. _**

**_Sirius: ow ow ow! Sticky… _**

**_Me: oh come on, you probably did this all the time!_**

**_Sirius: true, but I was a lot younger…. Ow!!_**

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**_Almonds: I'm glad you like it, and love me. Yay! I hope you like this chapter as well, Draco is busy at the moment, so I can't offer him to you all honey covered. *glares at Anniacuru, who grins* and Harry is busy sulking, so may I offer any teacher or other student, Snape perhaps? *shudders* or Blaise? Please state your order in your review, and I'll deal with it._**

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**_On with the show…_**

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**_Key:_**

**_A/n or prophesy or letter._**

**Draco's thoughts**

_Harry's thoughts_

Stressed speech

~~~ = pov/scene change.

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**_Chapter 3:_**

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**_To 7th year Gryffindors and Slytherins,_**

**_Due to the hostility so openly expressed between your two Houses, I believe that it will generate more tolerance between you if you have to share all your lessons together. Therefore, I have arranged it so._**

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**_Yrs,_**

**_Albus Dumbledore._**

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"How could he do this to us?" Ron was already turning a deep scarlet in his apoplexy. He was reading a notice which had been pinned onto the notice board of the Gryffindor common room earlier that morning. They had already received their new timetables.

"No, no, no! I've just learnt our old timetable off by heart!" cried Neville.

Harry frowned, today was Tuesday, and according to the new timetables, they had Potions, Transfiguration, History of Magic, and Charms. That meant a hell of a lot of homework.

~~~~~ **_Down in the Dungeons ~~~~_**

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"Draco, baby" simpered Pansy, **she's never known her place. "What do you think of these new timetables? I think they're positively dreadful! I mean, who does…" Draco zoned out her mindless prattling; he had never had much tolerance for fawning fan girls, although they gave his ego a boost. But Pansy's determination was aggravating; and was beginning to really annoy Draco.**

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Potions passed without much to note; Snape was snappy, **even to me! But,  Draco figured, ** I did mess his class up last time… ****

Before he knew it, he was of to Transfigurations.

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"Quit complaining Ron!" Harry and Hermione shouted. They were sick of his moans. Harry was sure that if he whined for another minute, he would kill him, best friend or not. Hermione, seeing this, quickly chastised Ron enough to shut up. _Either that, or her threat that she wouldn't help with his history homework worked!_

They reached the classroom to find it devoid of desks. _ That's promising! The trio joined the rest of their friends leaning on the far wall, chatting animatedly. Harry was soon bored of the inane guesses and predictions for the lesson. His gaze began to wonder, and rested on a familiar boy with liquid eyes and an aristocratic drawl._

"Well, I hope that she doesn't show any partiality in these lessons, but then again, these are Gryffindors we're dealing with!" Draco broke off, and waved a hand to silence his avid listeners. "Please, applause, however appreciated, is not necessary at this time."

Harry stifled a laugh. Draco's listeners were enraptured, as if he was some god, _not likely, but then again, those eyes…_Harry quickly shut out that particular train of thoughts as a cat padded into the classroom and transformed into Professor McGonagall.

"Excuse my lateness, there was a matter of a certain cat I couldn't shake off." She looked flustered. The Gryffindors all sniggered, while the Slytherins looked intrigued; **she had never explained to us why she was late, **Draco thought bitterly, **but of course she would have no qualms in telling her reasons to them! This peeved him slightly, ****no matter, I'll get it off Potter sooner or later. Draco was a perceptive boy, and was certainly, in no way oblivious to the stares he was receiving from the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived. What was slightly unnerving though was the fact that Harry was staring at his eyes, whereas most admirers try and avoid eye contact.**

### **_Flashback ###_**

"Father, what does a mirror tell you? In my readings, I know that some alter your perceptions, read your minds, and do other magical things! What will I see?" the 6 year old's eagerness for knowledge was apparent in his voice.

"Draco, be quiet. I don't have time to discuss such trivial matters with you. I have important things to discuss with more important people." The boy's father departed the room, leaving the boy with his mother. Draco transferred his inquiring eyes to her. She sighed and knelt down, stroking his cheek.

"Shh, my darling, remember, mirrors do not all tell the truth; so a great man once said that the best mirror is a friend. I'll tell you what you'll see…" 

The graceful woman gazed at her son with loving and praising eyes. He was a beautiful cherub, and so pure, and innocent… 

"You'll see your heritage, and your right to be proud, no matter how bad things get, you'll have that to fall back on, and it's well founded. I see high birth in your cheekbones, that's from your father, and your silver hair, showing power, which acts as a warning that beautiful things can be dangerous too. Your lips are from me I think, too full for your father. They show the capability of emotion, which you must keep in check. Your nose, once again from your father, that stands for nobility."

"And what of my eyes, Mother? Where did I get them? Are they from father too?" 

Narcissa gave a quiet chuckle. "I should hope not! His are grey. Yours are shining silver, ready to outshine us all. No, they come from my father. I see him in you sometimes… Please, if only for me, whatever your father says, keep him in there. Promise me…" 

"I promise, Mama." 

She leaned in and kissed the boy on his forehead. "My boy, my little dragon. I love you." She rose, "and I trust this conversation will go nowhere?" a nod from her son reassured her, and she left the room.

 **_# End Flashback #_**

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Draco blinked, **where had that come from? "**Perhaps the thoughts of my features," he mused. But his thoughts were abruptly shattered by the realisation that a very annoyed looking professor was glaring at him.

"Well, if Mr Malfoy is now awake enough for me to continue" **damn. "Then I will sort you into partners. Malfoy, you and your partner will have detention, so they can explain the project to you. I'm taking 5 points off Slytherin. Now, let me sort you before the bell goes… Slytherins, this side, and Gryffindors, this side. Hurry please!" **

Both lines scowled as they were pulled into partners with the opposite house. Ron was with Blaise and Hermione was with Theodore. 

"Ah, I was warned about you two together" Draco scowled at his professor's words. "But considering the nature of this task, it can't be that bad. Very well, Malfoy, go with Potter. Your detention will be in this room at 8 tonight. It will be unsupervised, but no magic will be tolerated. Do try and be civil." She swept out.

"Oh, Joy! I'm with you! And may I ask for just exactly how long am I stuck with you?" Draco gazed at Harry, who was lost in his own thoughts. "Hello? Earth to Potter?" Draco even went as far as to wave a perfectly manicured hand in front of the dreaming boy's face. He soon gave up that particular tack. "See you tonight then, it's a date." Draco laughed at the blush rapidly rising in the finally awakened boy and left. ** Gotcha!**


	4. 4: the project

**_A Big thank you to all who have reviewed…_**

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**_Anniacuru, my beta, I love you._**

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**_Neko_****_, I'm glad you like this story! Hope you like this chapter._**

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**_Obviations,_****_ all will soon become clear._**

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**_Jessie c, hope you enjoy this chapter, all will become clear._**

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**_Almonds: hope you enjoy, large plot in this, but lots of Draco to cheer it up._**

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**_To everyone else, Enjoy!_**

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**_KEY:_**

**_An, letter, prophesy._**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought._

Stressed speech.

~~~ = pov or scene change.

**_Chapter 4_**

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When Harry walked back to the transfigurations classroom at 7:30 whatever he had expected to see was definitely not what was happening before his eyes…

He stared bemused at a bedraggled Draco Malfoy trying to push off a clingy Pansy Parkinson, who was getting far too close for comfort.

"Leave me alone!" Draco's tone held his father's imperious tone, which obviously went over the girl's head.

"Oh, come on, you know you want to!"

"That's where you're wrong, I despise you."  
  


"You don't mean that!"

"Yes… I … DO!!!" with an inhuman effort, he managed to get Pansy to lose her grip on his neck, and throw her to the floor. However, she was unfazed by this, and from the expression on her face, this happened regularly.

"Just one kiss…"

"No!"

"Why not?" Pansy whined. Draco was the only boy who had ever rejected her, it only made him a more enticing catch in her opinion.

"Just, leave me alone!!!" Draco's usual composure had been worn out; his hair was tussled. Normally, Draco wouldn't have tussled hair in his sleep. Pansy backed away, trying a different tack, thinking that if she couldn't arose him, she could damn well enrage him.

"You're not Gay, are you?"

"You're such a great judge of Character! You guessed by deepest secret! Yes, sadly, I am gay, and that means I could never fall for you." Draco keeled over in a melodramatic manner. He never let people have victories if mental tactics were involved, a trait he inherited from his father. His admission fazed Pansy, she had expected a violent reaction, but Malfoy's were too good for that, she actually believed him.

"No, you can't be…"

"Too bad, you need to go find some other rich, eligible, young, handsome man to latch on to." He smiled sardonically. She burst into tears and ran out of the room, barely missing Harry, but too depressed to notice. Harry decided that he should make his presence known.

"You shouldn't have said that, the whole school will have heard it before the night is out" Harry looked at the Slytherin. He seemed completely calm, a remarkable thing to do in his current situation.

"Yeah? Well she's a slut. I have a good reason not to like her. People will understand that I only said it to get her off me. She's fine once or twice in a broom closet, but when she tries to turn it into a relationship, just leave. I'd never go with someone like her!" Draco wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Anyway, the project, what is it?"

"Animagi"

"Excuse me? We, a bunch of 17 year olds are going to learn how to change shape?" Draco was excited; the mere exhilaration of being another shape was amazing. His father turned him into a falcon, at an early age, to be a messenger for some of his more compromising messages. Of course, a young boy of five wouldn't think twice about parroting something like 'the lord will be revenged, the blood traitors will beg for mercy in vain.' Draco smiled bitterly at the memory; he had stopped being a parrot when he began to connect the words to newspaper reports, at the tender age of eight or so. 

Harry's clear voice interrupted his thoughts,

"Yes, we are going to learn to be animagi, but the first step is to discover what animal you will be. Most wizards take on a normal animal; powerful ones take on a magical creature. The actual creature is unique to you, like your soul."

"Yadda, yadda, yadda, I get it already. Sheesh, you sound like a textbook. Maybe Granger is rubbing off on you." Harry continued unperturbed,

"We need to be in pairs so that we can record what animal form the other takes, in practicals, or trances, or something else. Have you ever made a Patronus?"

"No, Dementors have never felt the need to attack me" Draco replied scathingly. 

"Could you do one, now? The animal form it takes might help. It won't be the form that you will eventually take, but it is a key to your character."

"And your stag tells you what? That you are an arrogant show-off who takes after his father?"

"Pretty much" Harry confessed. "Now, let me see yours, I have a bet going with Ron, he is certain it will be a ferret but I think he's underestimating you." 

"Such flattery!" Draco did a fake swoon. After a while, he stood up and adjusted his clothing to its previous perfect state. Almost lazily, he produced a completely corporeal Patronus. It was a horse. 

"hmm…" Harry ran over his notes searching for equine manifestations. "You are passionate, possessive… and powerful? Are you sure you did a Patronus? I mean, when have you been those?

"Those who know me would vouch for all three." Draco smirked.

"Well I haven't seen any." 

Draco moved closer to the disbelieving boy in front of him. "Well, that's because, you don't know me."

"I'd like to"

"Would you now?" Draco raised an eyebrow. Harry nodded. "We'll see. Anyway, what did McGonagall mean when she said something about cats in class?"

"Oh that, well" Harry blushed. "To put it plainly, um, Mrs Norris is male, and really likes her in that form."

"Yuck. I thought cats had good taste."

"He's been stuck with Filch for ages, which would drive anyone mad."

"True. Back to the 'getting-to-know-me' thing. I have a feeling that we might be partners in a lot of things now. You might have a chance…" Draco moved closer to Harry, who was breathing shallowly, eyes wide. 

"Really?"

"But, don't bet on it."


	5. 5: Lullabies tell stories too

**_A Big thank you to all who have reviewed…_**

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**_Anniacuru:  my beta, what would I do without you? *sends Draco to kiss you*_**

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**_Jessie C: once again, thank you for your support from the beginning. I love you! *sends Draco to kiss you*_**

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**_Almonds: thank you for reviewing; I hope you enjoy this chapter! I love you! *sends Draco to kiss you*_**

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**_Sirian-Princess87: Welcome to my story, I'm so glad you love it so much. Thank you for your wonderful compliments, I'm honoured. I hope you enjoy this chapter! *Sends a honey covered Draco or Harry to you* (please state preference in your review!)_**

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**_To everyone else who reviews after this chapter goes up, Thank you, and Enjoy!_**

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**_KEY:_**

**_An, letter, prophesy._**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought._

Stressed speech.

~~~ = pov or scene change.

**_Chapter 5_**

****

It had been three days since the meeting of the rivals, and yet Harry couldn't shake the memory of it out of his head. In his eyes, his classes passed quickly, and he spent them thinking about the project, _our project he corrected himself. In the lessons, Draco ignored him, and sat far away, in the middle of the Slytherins, '_ruling over the serpents…' _Harry thought. As a result of this, he was severely admonished by his teachers and Hermione._

"How do you expect to get good marks in the exams if you don't listen in class? Shame on you, Harry! They're only a term away!!!" she had said one lunchtime.

"Give him a break, Herm." Ron replied for Harry with a mouthful of toast. "He probably has other stuff on his mind, like a certain fellow student!" Ron wriggled his eyebrows, which he probably thought looked good, but came off as two caterpillars waltzing. Harry would have laughed, but the insinuation was dangerous.

"What?" he asked, trying to sound impartial.

"You know, Cho! I've seen you look at her, you sly dog, you!"

"Oh," assured that his secret was safe, Harry tried to steer the conversation away from his previous crush. "I wasn't, actually." Ron looked crestfallen and Hermione relieved. "I was wondering about the animagi project. I want to know what I'll be."

"That's more like it Harry! See, Ron, Some people think about work outside the lesson!" Hermione flashed Harry a toothy grin. Ron's face at this remark reminded Harry of his prediction of Ron's reaction to the detention with Draco.

"Ron, I forgot, Draco's Patronus isn't a ferret, and you owe me five Knuts!"

Ron was put out, but he didn't miss Harry's slip of the tongue. In his thoughts, Harry would never intentionally be civil to Malfoy. "When was it Draco? Is that some term of Dumbledore's? That you have to be polite and 'friendly' to your partner?" he shuddered at the implication of the word 'friendly'.

"Oh, Grow up Ron!" was Hermione's reply. She had been doing extra research on the materialization of wizards' Patronuses, and was interested to know what Malfoy had created.

"No, I want to know why he refers to him by his first name. It's a stupid name as well!"

"No it's not! I like it. But let Harry speak."

"No, it's not Dumbledore…" Harry stumbled over his words, trying to select carefully, "It's just that, well, I thought that, I could try and be nice…" he broke off, silently imploring Ron not to explode. To his surprise, it was Hermione who exploded… with laughter. Harry blushed as she fell off her seat clutching her sides. 

After a few minutes she managed to utter, "You sound… just… like…Ginny!" she finally composed herself, and left the room still chuckling softly as Ron stared blankly at her, Harry's explanation forgotten.

"Sometimes, I don't know what the hell that girl is talking about. What did she mean about my sister?" Ron looked questioningly at Harry, hoping for an answer. He was disappointed however; as Harry stole away blushing feverishly and muttering fiercely.

"I'm going to kill her!"

~~~

Draco was lounging around in his favourite armchair in the Slytherin dungeons. He was in a good mood due to the fact that he could plainly see the effect his presence was having on everyone in the vicinity. The boys mainly looked scared, and those who Draco had graced with acknowledgement laughed at them. The girls gazed appraisingly at his well-built frame. He smiled a dazzling smile, intentions clear in his suggestive eyes. The chosen girl's eyes widened and she advanced, at the clear chagrin of the others. Smirking, Draco led her to his private quarters. **'All in a day's work'.**

~~~

Harry was furious; Hermione shouldn't have laughed at him. _I didn't sound like Ginny! It's not like I have a crush on him, or something!  He had just reached the common room when Hermione pounced and dragged him off to her room, a privilege the seventh relished. He was deposited from her surprisingly strong grip onto her couch. She was breathless with excitement. _

"When did you realise?" she gasped.

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry irritably.

"That you were gay, Stupid! What did you think I meant?"

"WHAT?" Harry wasn't expecting that, and had no immediate response but denial.

She looked at him disparagingly. "Oh, Come on! Did you just hear yourself at lunch? And you stare at Draco every lesson!!! Admit it, you love him!"

"No Way!"

"But you think he's attractive…"

"I dunno," again Harry stuttered, again Hermione noticed. She continued to look at him in that wheedling glare she had, not unlike McGonagall's. Harry gave in. " I suppose, he's tall, well built, and could be called handsome." 

Hermione smiled, "At least now you're being honest."

"But I don't love him. Love is such a powerful word. I don't think I have ever loved anyone, yet."

At this, Hermione ceased her hyper mood and became pensive. "It's his eyes, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"They are mesmerising… when they're not trained on you with disgust, that is." She paused, deep in thought. "There was a lullaby my mum sang to me. I never thought it would be useful, but here it is…" Hermione's voice broke out into a soft melody.

**_"You won't need rescuing_**

**_From an evil foe,_**

**_If you keep your temper in check_**

**_And your mind in tow._**

**_Tame the dragon,_**

**_Extinguish its fire,_**

**_But not its flame, its life,_**

**_Or you are no higher."_**

****

"That's beautiful, Hermione. But what does it mean?"

"You must make him a better person, but don't try and change him."

"That doesn't make sense!" said Harry, baffled.

"I mean, the dragon, or Draco, shouldn't be changed; the better person is inside him, waiting to get out. He is not a dragon if you change him into a rabbit."

"Ok, I think I get it." Harry blushed slightly. "You are assuming that I'm in a position to be able to."

"If every project we have to complete puts you in pairs, then I think you soon will be."

"You think too much!"

Hermione laughed and embraced Harry. "Good luck!" she whispered.

Harry looked at his friend in admiration. "I'll need it!"

~~~

Draco was satisfied; the girl he had chosen a few hours previously was exceptional. He had that euphoric post-sex daze about him. **Definitely one of the more enjoyable… but best not to string her on. He rolled over to the napping girl beside him. **I never did get her name…** and tapped her on the shoulder. She looked at him as if she was still dreaming. **

"You may go now." Draco said to her, before turning away to get dressed. 

"What!" the girl screamed, "I thought…" Draco looked at her, clearly bored. ** Why do they always make such a fuss?**

"No, you didn't think. Now go." She didn't budge. "What? Do you want me to be all romantic? Do you expect me to propose? You were adequate; I've had better." She began to sob. Draco sighed and muttered a silencing charm on her. He walked out of the room, black silk shirt still unbuttoned, showing his toned chest. The door was left ajar, hosting a hysterical girl waiting to be consoled by her friends. 


	6. 6: the war girls wage & the thoughts boy...

**_It's finally Done!!!!!_**

**_Thank you to:_**

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**_Anniacuru: my beta and friend still love ya! *sends Draco over to help with your 'homework' * *snigger*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: Yay, hope you enjoy, *sends Draco over with nutella*_**

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**_Sirian-Princess87: Thank you so much, your review really made me feel so much better. I'm glad you love this fic as much as I do, and hope you still will after all the twists coming up! *gags herself, before she gives it away.* *Sends Harry and Draco to *cough* perform *cough* *_**

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**_SilkenRaven_****_: glad you love Draco, there's a lot more where that came from. *Sends Draco over with Chocolate spread and cookies*_**

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**_Mandie_****_/snuffles: I'm glad that you go from loving this story to liking it. I hope I make you return to loving it after the next few chapters._**

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**Draco: I have a complaint!**

**Me: _oh really? _**

**Draco: yes! Why am I shipped off to everyone's homes with sticky substances? **

**Me: _because everyone loves you._**

**Draco: I know that. Aren't I good enough without the honey?**

**Me: I give up. On with the story!**

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**_To all others who are reading, enjoy!_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An/prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Stressed

Normal.

****

**_Chapter 6_**

Harry was bored. The novelty of his confession had worn off on Hermione, and she had gone back to her frantic studies. Ron indulged in chess with Dean in most of their free-time. Seamus and Neville held secret meetings away from everyone else. These had started because Neville had a crush on Ginny, but was too shy to do anything about it. Seamus, being the sweet, helpful little flirt he was, was giving him private "Wooing lessons". It was coming on nicely, but Neville still had a way to go.

Harry decided to go out and fly. He got out his broom and slipped out of the tower unnoticed.

~~~

Draco was annoyed, the girl he had played the night before was irritating him; she just couldn't understand that he didn't like her. She had got into a girl-fight with Pansy, and Pansy was recovering with Madame Pomprey. The fact that she had actually beaten Pansy… that worried Draco enough to order constant bodyguard duty from Crabbe and Goyle. **No one but a kamikaze would attack me with these idiots around… that is, unless your name is Potter. **

He went out of the dungeons trying to clear his head. He walked onto the grounds trying not to think of Potter when he looked up**. Speak of the Devil…**

~~~

Harry was just coming down, feeling very refreshed, when he spotted a head of light blonde hair. Fearing the worst, (that it would be the one he was thinking about) he decided to fly away. Just as he turned around, the boy looked up and spotted him. _Damn._ Harry descended. 

~~~

"I don't see why you bother practising, it's not like you need to," said Draco bitterly. 

Harry looked surprised at the comment, "I didn't come here to practise, I came to clear my head. It's so much easier up there" he pointed up.

Draco sneered, "I always knew you were an airhead!"

"Don't make me break out the blonde jokes, Malfoy!"

"They don't apply to me, so go ahead."

Harry couldn't think of a suitable retort for this, so he glowered at Draco, "Shut up."

"Oh, Harry! Are you always this articulate? You're such a charmer!!!" Draco batted his eyelids, "Why hadn't I seen this before? Oh wait, it's because you're nothing of the sort."

"And you are?"  Harry raised his eyebrows in disbelief. 

"I don't have to have charm; my looks do it all for me."

"And that's supposed to mean?"

"Girls love me. It's as simple as that."

"Are these real girls, or your imaginary friends?"

"You're one to talk about voices in your head!" Draco made a single cough, which sounded a hell of a lot like "Voldemort!"

Harry heard and was surprised by Draco's openness. _ Actually, he is the only person I can always expect to be open with me. He always is._

"So you don't bother with 'you-know-who' then"

"Why should I? It is pathetic. My father is his slave, and I have no intention of becoming so. Voldemort does not want slaves who are powerful enough to usurp him."

"I think that is a slight exaggeration. And besides, if you usurp him, what about his faithful Slytherins?"

"Faithful Slytherins?" Draco made a soft tinkling laugh. "You forget, Mr Potter that Slytherins are only in for themselves, they will fawn over those in power. In for a galleon, out for a sickle, so to speak. There is a lot you still don't know about me, Potter, if needs be, I am as powerful as you, if not more so."

"If you say so Malfoy." Harry replied with a tone you would use to a five year old telling you that the sun was made of cheese.

"Do not underestimate me. But I did not come to argue" **for a first. _ Then what did you come for? "Goodbye, Potter."_**

"Wait, why were you here in the first place?"

Draco replied, like it was obvious, "I came to clear my thoughts, like you."

"That can't have taken long"

"I didn't manage it. So I'm going to do the next best thing."

"And what's that?"

"Why, have sex, of course!" At Harry's look he rephrased that slightly, "I am going to go find a girl who is not on the side of that bloody Sarah or something, and I am going to fuck her. Now, good bye."

~~~


	7. 7: Divination has its uses

**_Thank you to everyone who reviewed,_**

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**_Anniacuru: my lovely beta, I love you. Good luck with nano remo. *Sends Draco with a bagful of inspiration for Stardust.*_**

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**_Morbid mind: thanks for reviewing me, I hope the nausea fades. *Sends a colony of dancing chocolate frogs to cheer you up*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: don't worry; the "good stuff" is coming soon. They're just beyond several plot twists, but they're coming… I'm not exactly sure what "glomping me" entails, but I'll take it as a good thing. Enjoy… *Sends Harry over with Häägen Dääs (Vanilla) to stop you crying*_**

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**_SilverWolf-MAGE-ofLight_****_: you tie up Draco!! Evil! *cries* yrs means yours, it's a way of signing letters. I hope you like the story, (you didn't actually say in the review) **_**

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**_Malfoy+Harry_****_: hope you like this chapter!_**

**_ To all others, Enjoy, and Please review!_**

**_Chapter 7_**

It was in divination that Harry saw Draco again. He looked very, very annoyed…

~~~

**That stupid bitch.** Draco fumed silently. ** Why did she have to go and ruin everything? I had a nice system; I would need some release, someone would give it to me. The system is as plain and simple as a mud blood. But no, she had to take offence to the brush-off, she had to beat up Pansy, she had to create a bloody army against me! For Fuck's sake! This is not on! It's lucky that Blaise has a talented tongue. He looks like a girl from above, if only he ceased bloody moaning. The things I have to put up with to stay happy!**

~~~

Harry watched as Draco looked for a seat, and was about to sit down near the wall when a loud clucking sound came from Trelawney as she pointed to the board. On it was a sign; "All students must sit next to their partners in their transfiguration project. This includes you, Mr Malfoy!" Draco scowled, but went to sit next to Harry in a large plush sofa without a word. The tension lifted in the room.

"Well, now that Mr Malfoy has joined us, we may begin. We are going to do a particular reading today. It is to see the inner animal in you." She glared at the few Gryffindors who sniggered, Ron included. Draco looked at them disparagingly, **can you say, 'immature'?** Trelawney continued, "I do not expect you all to get results for this, it is an advanced task, and not many are gifted with the Sight." 

The circle of Gryffindors erupted in laughter again, as Seamus whispered to Ron, "Well, She certainly hasn't!"

"Will you desist? Concentration is the key, you must look into your partner's soul, look though the window of their eyes… the animal is lurking there." She paused for dramatic effect. "Write down your findings in your project folder. Begin!"

Draco turned to Harry smirking, "Potter, if you see any death omens in my eyes, do not neglect to run to your precious headmaster." Harry glared, Trelawney's exploits with predicting his death were a school joke; there was even a phrase erupting in Hufflepuff, 'Trelawney is right about Harry' which was their equivalent to 'pigs might fly' _which, come to think of it, is easy, with a little wingardium leviosa spell. Harry thought idly. The Slytherins, however, put it down to their divination teacher being into necrophilia. The Ravenclaws had no time to gossip about their teachers, so they had no say in the matter._

So far Harry had survived her forecasts of his demise, not that that deterred her. She waltzed up to them. 

"No, no, no! How can you work like this? The inner eye must be seen face to face!"

The boys were confused; they had been facing each other. _What more does the old bat want? Hermione, obviously annoyed that she had to take this class again for this project, turned to them and snapped irritably, "She means directed, Harry!" she muttered a spell, and suddenly, his vision became really blurred. _

"What have you done to me?" cried Harry perplexed. 

"Oh, Honestly!" Hermione pulled the tattered glasses off Harry's face. His sight became clear. "I performed that spell you have been objecting to for so long, to correct your eyesight! You're welcome" she turned back to her partner. Harry turned sheepishly back to Draco, and then burst out laughing. Draco had picked up the discarded glasses and placed them on his own face.

"You must really be blind, Potter! How on Earth do you plat Quidditch in these?" he took off the glasses and tossed them to Harry, who caught them, and put them reverently into his pocket. Draco stared at Harry with mock scrutiny. "Right, Inner Being… Show yourself!"

"Yeah, like that's gonna work, Malfoy."

"Shut up, I'm being intimidating here!"

"Well, my inner self is laughing his arse off at you."

"Quiet! Your blasphemy is disrupting the aura of the room!" Trelawney glared at them, "Concentrate!" She flounced off. Harry looked at Draco, amused by the teacher's antics. To his surprise, Draco was gazing into his eyes, with a vacant expression on his face.

~~~

Draco stared at something glinting just past the emerald ring of Harry's iris. Something was moving in the depths of his pupil, if it was his pupil anymore… **no, the fumes of this room are getting to me, they can't be legal!** Draco thought hazily. He was being drawn into a dark forest, and there were creatures writhing in the shadows. They looked like salamanders. **But they live in flames!** "Good Point, Draco" a voice whispered in his head, with a cold malice. "I am not a salamander, do you see any legs?" ** I can't define anything! "You're looking at my carpet of minions, look up, and face the true Lord. Look up." And he did. Draco saw a large snake, tail stretching into the distance. But the face of the snake was different, it had deep red eyes, and his mouth was contorted into a vile smirk. Draco would recognise that expression anywhere; those eyes… he was staring at Voldemort… **

~~~


	8. 8: Portraits and portals

**_To all my reviewers:_**

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**_Anniacuru: I love you. _**

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**_Jessica Collett: you took it well, I guess I'll have to think up a really bad cliff-hanger for you then… Wahahaha!!! *Sends Draco over with Cookies*_**

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**_Sapphire: thanks for your review; I hope you enjoy this chapter! *Sends Draco with candy floss*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: yes, Voldemort is scary… but don't worry, he doesn't feature Too much in this fic, (Possibly) *sends Harry over with strawberry jam*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: yay, I inspired a rant! Don't worry; Draco the lovely will be fine, eventually… Wahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! I glomp you for such a cute review!!! *Sends Draco over with vanilla sprinkles*_**

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**_To all others, enjoy!_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An_****_/ Prophesy / important poetic line._**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Stressed speech

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**_Chapter 8_**

****

"Malfoy, Malfoy? Hello? Anyone there? Earth to Malfoy? D... Draco?" Harry was worried now; the lesson had ended ten minutes beforehand, yet Draco still stared at him. Trelawney was ecstatic; she was waiting jittery by Harry's side, ready to question Draco on what he had seen. Harry, on the other hand, had had enough. He broke the eye contact required to keep the spell up. Draco's eyes widened, he focused on Harry momentarily, and then collapsed into his arms with an anguished cry.

"The inner eye can be exhausting to those not used to its power" said Trelawney wistfully. 

"I don't give a damn! What has happened to him?" yelled Harry, struggling to his feet holding an unconscious Draco. 

"He has tired himself out. You see, he actually tried! You think you are so brilliant," Trelawney's voice became deeper, **_"He has seen death, more times than you, and survived. But the mask is chipping. Buy some Papier Maché to fix it."_  **

"What the Hell are you on, professor? We need help! I can't carry him down the stairs alone!"

"And that is why Portraits are the secret walkways of this school, Harry." Dumbledore's clear voice rang through the attic room. He had entered through a portrait of Morgana Le Fay which seemed to be on the same wall as the window viewing the quidditch pitch. "I generally keep them a Headmaster's privilege, but, I believe that they would be helpful to you in this juncture. I cannot join you, but when you get to the circular portrait room, choose the one of Connor the Confused. If I remember correctly, that portrait also hangs in the Infirmary. The passwords to all the portraits are the rooms that they lead to."

"Thank you, Professor"

"Don't mention it." He turned to Trelawney, who was in a faint state on the couch. "Now, Sybil, What is the matter?"

Harry left the room through the portrait, which had grinned seductively at him as he passed through. "I always did love a man who took charge!" mused Morgana.

Harry dragged the surprisingly light Draco to a well lit circular room. He searched for the correct portrait amidst the crowd of portraits talking to each other, and him. Finally, he found him. Connor was in a monk's habit. He had bright blue eyes and his red lips were formed into a sweet smile. _He's only smiling because he doesn't know anything!_ Thought Harry bitterly. He was half-right; Connor had got on the wrong side of a bafflement charm a week before this portrait was painted. He was nice to talk to, and was very forth coming in his gossip of inter-school ghosts and teachers which he got from the staff room painting Maeve the malevolent. She had been cursed dumb by a previous headmaster, to avoid a scandal, but Dumbledore had taught all the portraits sign language so that she could communicate (unbeknownst to the other teachers, of course) 

"Oh, hello Harry!" smiled Connor, "I haven't seen you here before, I see you a lot at the other end, but not here."

"Hi, can you get us through please?"

"Draco, is it? My, my, I hope he's alright. What is the password again?"

"The infirmary"

"Is it? I can't remember… oh well. I know you, and if anything goes wrong, I'll know who came through."

"Thanks, Connor." Harry struggled through to the narrow passageway and opened the portrait door on the other side.

"Oh, hello again! How are you today, Harry? My, my, what's wrong with Draco?" Harry was too tired to remind Connor when he knew that he would forget in a few minutes. He went to an empty bed and dropped Draco unceremoniously onto it and collapsed onto a chair. After a few minutes, he got up, and straightened Draco out and tucked him in. he looked turbulent. _ Bad dreams, poor Dragon…_ Harry pulled his chair up to the bed, and fell asleep, stroking Draco's hand. 


	9. 9: truth sealed with a kiss

**_Thank you to everyone who is still reading this, I'm glad you are enjoying it._**

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**_To my reviewers:_**

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**_Anniacuru: I have thought of the perfect name of the evil people to come… something along the lines of "_****_Charlotte_****_…"  I love you! *sends Draco over with guilian Belgian chocolates… *_**

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**_Jessica Collett: *watches as delusional Draco plays with cute stuffed toy.* aw. Don't worry, no more cliffs for a while… Wahahahaha!!! *sends Draco with doughnuts.*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: he'll be fine, Harry will make him better… *sends Draco to you with caramel*_**

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**_Alex: thanks for your review! I hope you like this chapter! *sends Harry over with treacle*_**

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**_Silverfox_****_: Yay! I'm glad you like this story, hope you like this chapter! *Sends a honey covered Draco to you*_**

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**_Sapphire: Harry wasn't concentrating enough to see anything, and besides, V. wanted to be seen... I hope I updated soon enough to save your life. *Sends a sweet Harry with sherbet*_**

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**_Artemis1000: Yay! I hooked you into my net! Wahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! *recovers from random bout of madness* yes, Draco is a dear isn't he… don't worry, Harry will make him better… *sends your preference of Harry or Draco (tell me in your review.)*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: Please stop crying! *Sends Harry with tissues* also, please let go of me… I can't update easily with you hanging on like that. The 'good stuff' is coming soon, so be patient. *sends Draco with several boxes of mint viennetta.* _**

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**_To everyone else, Enjoy, and please review!_**

****

**_Key:_**

**_An/ prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = scene change

****

**_Chapter 9_**

****

"Get off me!" Draco screamed. He was confused; he had woken up in the infirmary with no less than Harry Potter sleeping on a chair by his bed absent-mindedly stroking his hand. 

"Wha?" Harry awoke with a start.

"I think I should be asking that question, Potter!"

"In divination, you saw something, you collapsed. "The memory of the previous day flooded back to Draco. He remembered the red eyes of the snake Nagini (Voldemort's animagi form.) he cowered from Harry, shaking visibly. 

"Please… go away."

"What's wrong Draco?" asked Harry, their animosity temporarily forgotten.

"It was him. Tell him I didn't mean it. Tell him, Harry."

"What are you talking about?"

"My, my, the poor soul has gone barmy. Snape would love to know that; as far as Maeve knows he is a relative to the boy." Connor looked concerned for Draco, but Harry didn't want anyone to know yet. 

"No! Where's Pompfrey?" 

"She's in Hogsmeade with Flitwick. Such a lovely couple they make."

"Then who's taking care of the casualties?"

"I do!"

"But what about emergencies?" this was definitely an emergency to Harry; _how could a boy who is not afraid of anything, be terrified by me?_

"I activate a port key Pompfrey always has with her. It's the locket she wears. It is connected to the portrait circuit so I can do it." Connor disappeared and came back with a large switch. "But it's your fault when she asks!!!" Connor flipped the switch. After a second, a flustered Madame Pompfrey in a flowery dress appeared. Her eyes were shut, and she was leaning forward, lips puckered. Connor ran, and Harry stared in amazement. She opened her eyes and looked around. She saw Harry and blushed. 

"What were you doing?" she yelled, her countenance restored. "If this isn't an emergency, you will get detention for a month!" she saw a quivering mass under the duvet. Her gaze softened, and she addressed the lump, "there, there, don't worry" she turned back to Harry. "What's wrong with the patient, Potter?"

"I don't know Madame Pompfrey.  Draco just dived under the covers when he saw me." Harry confessed.

"What? Have you and Mr Malfoy been fighting again? When will you two grow up?" 

"We weren't fighting; we were in Divination when he just keeled over."

"Did he see anything?"

"He won't talk to me."

"Then it is best if you leave."

"But…"

"Come back later. I may have some information for you."

"Thank you." Harry left. It was time for dinner, but he didn't feel hungry. He walked the corridors avoiding people for about an hour and he decided to visit Draco again. He walked in to see a worried Snape and a frightened Draco. Harry stayed silent. They hadn't heard him. Draco was stuttering in a terrified was and Snape was trying to console him but was ineffectual. 

"I saw him, he saw me… he spoke to me…he will tell my father, order him to… he heard my insults, heard them through Harry. Voldemort will kill me!" Harry was confused; _what does this mean? What has Voldemort done to Draco? What has it got to do with me?_

"Don't worry Draco, we'll sort this out." Snape left the room. Draco was curling up in his bed when he spotted Harry. He visibly shrunk into the duvet.

"What's wrong, Malfoy?"

"You, you're not Harry!"

"Then who am I?"

"Not just Potter… you're two people." Draco laughed, "You're schizo, Harry!"

"What are you talking about, Draco?"

"I saw him in your eyes. You have him in your head."

"Who?" Harry asked exasperated. 

"Voldemort!"

"He can't be. I am all me."

"Sorry to break it to you, but I saw something in the depths of your soul; it was his snake form. He spoke to me… I'm not his slave. He doesn't own me. No-one owns me!" Draco's haughtiness had reappeared. Harry moved closer, but Draco shuddered slightly, so Harry backed off. 

"You said you saw him in me, as a snake…" said Harry, trying to take it in rationally. "How come I didn't see anything in you? Are you sure? That snake could be my inner animal."

"You weren't paying attention. He called to me, I know his eyes." said Draco clearly. Harry believed him for some reason; so didn't question him further. 

"I think that might be residue from this…" he picked up Draco's delicate hand and placed it over his scar. This was the last resort of trust for Harry and Draco knew it; many a time had he seen Harry attack Ron for touching it, or flinching if Hermione did. Draco was subdued by this intimate gesture. He felt the raised lightening bolt under his fingers. He felt the contrast between the softness of it and the hand which held his in place. Harry withdrew his hand, eyes closed. Draco's hand remained for a while before he pulled it away slowly. 

"You're not him," smiled Draco, "I was almost worried for a moment!"

"Worried about me?" asked Harry.

"No," Draco answered sarcastically, "for bloody Bugs Bunny! Who do you think?"

"I just wouldn't have thought that you would care about me. That's all."

"What about me? Voldemort knows all I said to you, I'm doomed." A devious grin flashed across Draco's face. "So I guess this can't hurt." Draco leaned in and kissed Harry on the lips. It was amazing; Harry overcame his surprise enough to moan in elation. After a minute or two of sucking Harry's bottom lip, biting ever so slightly, Draco stopped and smirked, eyebrows suggestive. "Well, that was better than imagined."

Harry was still dazed; the last kiss he had received was from Hermione, trying to teach him, (needless to say, in vain). _This was so much better… "Wow."_

"Well that pretty much sums me up, Harry."

"You, imagined kissing me?"

"Well, apart from me and a Ravenclaw in the year above, you are definitely the hottest boy here."

"What was that?"

"That was a kiss, Potter. Learn to recognise it, or we might not get along." He turned to leave, headache forgotten. 

"Draco, what will the school think?"

"Of what?"

"Of this!" Harry grabbed Draco, ripping the buttons in his shirt and smashing his lips into a crushing kiss, as his hands roamed the pale muscles of Draco's chest. **Hm, a quick learner, there's hope for him yet!!!!**


	10. 10: insecurities and code words

**_HI, thanks to everyone who is still reading… _**

**_My reviewers:_**

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**_Anniacuru: Happy birthday for Friday. My brilliant beta. *sends Draco with chocolate frescatos*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: this chapter goes slightly further than kisses, *dirty laugh.* I hope you like it, I don't know much about male anatomy. Tell me if you like it. *sends Draco with cookies and cream Baskin and Robbins.*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: I hope you recover from swooning after this chapter! *sends Draco and Harry dolls*_**

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**_Silverfox: glad you love it. Hope you like the heat in this chapter, it might singe your fur. Ha, I'm a poet too!! (Humour me, I'm the author) *sends a honey-covered Harry to you*_**

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**_Sammi: ok, you're hyper! Don't worry, you don't annoy me at all, I love your reviews, they make my day. I'd love to hear your song though! _**

**_            Considering how much you liked that chapter for the kissing… you'll like this chapter… it's slightly more passionate… *dirty laugh…* thank you so much for your wonderful praise, and the accolade of "best writer" I doubt that, as I have read many brilliant stories… but the fact that you enjoy this that much is wonderful_**

**_            I hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends Draco and Harry to act out this chapter to you in private*_**

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**_Key:_**

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**_An, poetry, prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Stressed speech.

~~~ = pov / scene change

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**_Chapter 10_**

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_Mind-blowing, it was so… A dragon bit me, and I'll willingly sprout wings and follow it. He kissed me!!! Wow. Oh stop it Harry! Now you really do sound like Ginny! _Harry was grinning like a madman. Hermione was hyper and Ron was clueless. 

Hermione had guessed what had happened when a dazed Harry wandered into the library and sat down by her, lips red. She looked at him, and he just nodded.  The resulting shriek of joy from her got them chucked out of the library. Harry told her all about Draco, including the vision of Voldemort. _Well, if anyone can find out what was happening, it is Hermione._ She promised to look into it, and rushed back into the library apologising profusely to Price. 

~~~

Draco was delighted by his convenient excuse to kiss Harry. ** It's not as if it isn't true… Harry soon knew enough to listen out for it in Draco's conversations. "We're doomed" became their code for "I want you, now."  They snuck off to kiss passionately for a few minutes, then (in Harry's case) returned flustered, with a dazed expression. They used these meetings to alleviate their stress, and they often returned with ripped clothes, bruised lips and bite marks. **

It was after potions (the last class of the day) that Draco dropped it into conversation.  "You know, if Snape gives us that test, the Gryffindors are all doomed." Harry grinned and excused himself from Ron. He was greeted in the secret dungeon room behind the portrait of Circe and some wildlife. (Password: Odysseus.)  Harry walked up to a silent Draco trying to keep his countenance, but failed.

"I can read you like a book, so stop trying. It's demeaning to think that you could fool me."

"You don't know me that well, Malfoy." The playfulness was evident in Harry's voice.

"I know enough to know that you're desperate."

"I could leave right now."

"Go on, then."

"I don't want to."  
  


"Scared?"

"Of what?"

"That people would find out that their Golden Boy is not s golden."

"And that their Silver Boy is still second best."

Immediately, Draco stiffened. "You think you're better than me? You, who runs to this room like a starving dog, you, who hangs onto my every word, in case I'll summon you, yet never thinking to initiate these liaisons yourself. You're Pathetic!" Draco spat at Harry, and began to walk off, but was grabbed by Harry. 

"So what if I do? What about you? You, who needs someone so much lower than yourself to get yourself satisfied? You, who called me three times just this day? And you say I'm desperate!"

"Just fuck off, Potter."

"No."

"If you insist." Draco turned away and sat by the fire. But Harry didn't want that…

"I'm getting what I've come for. Malfoy" said Harry icily.

"Am I just a commodity to you?"

"What else could you be?" _so much more…  _

"Good question, I just figured that your griffin ways would classify me as a friend" Draco sneered.

"I never called you a friend. It was you who wanted that."

"Yes, but then I grew up. You're nothing but a child's idol."

Harry was now seething, "Whereas you're nothing but your father's shadow, Malfoy."

"Don't you dare bring my father into this! I'm not like him at all!!! He is a monster."

"And you aren't?"

"The question is, are you? Voldemort is in your head, your brain. He could be influencing your thoughts. You could be murdering people in your sleep."

"I wouldn't do something like that!"

"How do I know? You could attack me if I hurt you…" Draco punched Harry in the stomach. Harry caught Draco's arm.

"Don't… do... That again..."

"Why? Does it hurt? Are you in pain? Is little Hawwy gonna cry?" Draco taunted.

"No, but it'll make me do this." Harry twisted Draco's arm behind his head. Draco grimaced, but wouldn't allow Harry the satisfaction of knowing that it hurt. So instead, he did a move resembling a pirouette and ended with his arm in a comfortable position in front of him with Harry in a handcuff-like hold.

"Let me go!" shouted Harry.

"In your dreams." Draco tripped him. "Do you still think you're better than me?"

"Do you?"

"No!"

"Then why are you pushing this?"

"Do you think you're better than me?" Draco's tone was now inquisitive, showing genuine interest. 

"Yes." With an inhuman effort, Harry dragged Draco down with him and proceeded to squash him with his knees. Harry collapsed on top of Draco, who considering his slight frame, was holding up very well. Harry's head smashed into Draco's and automatically honed in on his lips, before Draco bit Harry's intrusive tongue.

"Bastard!"

"Fuck you! It's my mouth!"

"So these are yours too?" Harry pointed at his legs, which were pinned under Draco's back.

"Why of course! I own you. All of you…" Draco's hands followed his eyes up Harry's legs, lightly brushing the skin, leaving it tingling. Harry was soon too intoxicated to continue fighting. Draco was mesmerised by his fingers working up Harry's legs, and watched as they began to unbutton Harry's clothes. Harry laid back, eyes closed, but this was enough to snap Draco out of his ministrations.  He lay back next to Harry.

"Why d'you stop?" asked a petulant Harry. It was visible just how much he was enjoying it. 

Draco smirked, "Did you truly think that I would do the work? For you? Hell no!"

Harry watched him with irritation; Draco's fingers had left him wanting much more. In protest, he pouted and his back arched to try and initiate more contact between the two boys. But Draco wouldn't budge. He stayed resolutely in his place until Harry gave in and kissed him. **Took you long enough! Draco began to make a snide comment, when Harry's tongue left his lips and trailed along his collarbone to his chest. Draco was about to comment on the pleasant change of events when he lost the capability of cognitive thought as Harry sucked gently on his left nipple. **Holy, bloody, oh my god… ** _ what the hell am I doing?  Harry began to slow, but Draco's insistent moaning and forceful hands running up his sides changed his mind. Soon he too lost his rational mind and they began an almost frenzied dance to have as much contact as physically possible, and then some. One thing led to another and soon both boys were hit with blinding climaxes. They collapsed onto a rug by the fire, hot and sweaty and promptly went to sleep._**

~~~

Up in the office of the headmaster, the sorting hat shook his head and sighed. He was good friends with all the portraits and had just heard from Circe what had happened in the dungeon room. He swore her to secrecy, and dismissed her. 

**_Emerald meets platinum_**

**_Ok for some,_**

**_These two will have to live;_**

**_They have so much to give._**

**_Love may come, but that takes time,_**

**_Passion rules the words, they just mime._**

**__**

**__**


	11. 11: aftermath and an invisible cloak

**_Hello, I'm glad everyone enjoyed the last chapter! Don't worry; the next one is coming as soon as I can type it up. It is written though, _**

**_Here are my thanks:_**

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**_Anniacuru: Beta, I still love you, have fun with Rave! *sends a posing Draco for Cerin to sketch*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: my im is the same as my aol email. Haunterb32662. Glad you love the dolls. Hope you enjoy this chapter. *sends a doll house Hogwarts to play with*_**

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**_Silverfox_****_: hey, silver_fox. Glad you loved the chapter. I don't get tired of hearing that you love the story, please continue! *sends truffle (chocolate kind, not mushroom kind) covered harry.*_**

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**_Ms Tom Riddle: welcome to this story, glad you like it so much! *Sends a honey covered Draco or Harry. (state your choice in next review)*_**

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**_Icyfire2: Welcome to the story, glad you love it! *Sends a honey covered Draco or Harry. (state your choice in next review)*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: so glad you like the chapter and Thank you for the present!!!! *unwraps, squeals, hugs you, then continues to molest Harry.* *sends Draco with more haagen daas.*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: love the song, I could sing it all day…. #Laaaaaaaa!!!!# ahem.. anyway, glad you loved it, hope this is soon enough, sorry it is so short, but… I'll update again once I've typed the next chapter up. *sends vanilla green-and-black white chocolate with Draco*_**

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**_KEY_**

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**_An/ poetry/prophesy_**

**Draco thought**__

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = scene/pov change

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**_Chapter11:_**

_God, that was great; it was wonderful, amazing, I feel so different! I am no longer a virgin, cool. I no longer apply for virgin sacrifices. I am now… _Harry looked over at the boy curled up at his waist, and identified the blonde curls. _What the Hell have I done? Malfoy? I was taken by Draco? Oh god, my friends will kill me. I will kill me! How did it happen? _

_We argued, we fought, we… we… why does everything bad have to feel so good? It can never happen again? Never! Never! That means we'll have to stop these … what did he call them? 'Clandestine liaisons'. No more kissing for you, Mr Potter! _

_Look at him, he looks like an angel, a tainted angel, a banished seraphim; impure mind within a heavenly body, beauty encapsulated in that innocent frame, he's… he's… beau… he's waking up!_

Draco, not being the cheeriest of people when waking up, opened his eyes, rolled over and unceremoniously moaned a quiet whimper.  Harry laughed at this new side to the usually immaculate aristocrat. Draco registered it, got up quickly and glared. "What are you still doing here? Go eat your dinner, like a good boy. Leave me in peace."

"Do you know what we just did?" asked Harry, incredulous of the tone of Draco's voice. 

"Yes, I lost my mind. You experienced just how passionate I can be."

"But," Harry was devastated. _What did you expect? It probably hasn't been his first time in years._

"Oh, did it mean something to you? Well, here's a leaving token." Draco caught Harry in a brief yet smouldering kiss. "Run along now, I need to shower." Draco got up and made for the bathroom.

"Don't turn your back on me! You took something from me earlier, and I don't want it to be meaningless!"

"I didn't mean it to happen. One moment I wanted to rip your arrogant head off, next, you were giving it to me. by the way, thumbs up to the first timer, very good first try."

"But you started it!"

"How old are you Potter? Stop acting your shoe size and start acting it!" Harry's reply to this was a small hmph. "If you don't mind, I have to shower. I don't actually enjoy the idea of smelling like someone else's sweat."

"Could I have one?"

"You want to come in as I shower? You have a one-track mind." Draco raised his eyebrows.

"No," said Harry, blushing profusely. "I just need a shower too."

"By all means, the Gryffindor tower is five stairways that-a-way." Draco pointed to the door. 

"You evil bugger! Why can't I use yours?" 

"You answered that yourself. It's mine." Draco disappeared into the bathroom.

"Damn you. Stupid… cloak… find… can-t see…" Harry muttered angrily as he rummaged on his knees trying to find his invisible invisibility cloak. "AHA!" his foot caught on a silky material. He turned and pulled the material into his hands.

"What do you think you are doing? I just had a shower, I don't intend on getting dirty again… unless you swallow."

Harry looked up; in his hands was a red satin dressing gown. Above him was a clean nude Draco with an amused smirk playing across his features. Harry's head was directly facing another part of Draco's anatomy.

"Sorry, I was looking for my cloak," said Harry, trying to look everywhere but straight ahead.

"Not so bashful earlier"

"You weren't so superior either." 

"It was a one-off. This is the usual order of things."

"Don't get used to it, Malfoy."

"Back to surnames, Potter?"

"When wasn't it that way?"

"In random bouts of madness. You can use my shower if you want."  
  


"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Harry ran into the bathroom to clean himself up. He returned wrapped in a snake incrusted towel.

"Patriotic snakes, you lot!"

"At least our colours don't clash. Silver is the most elegant colour in the world."

"It probably is. Did you find my cloak?" asked Harry.

"You thought I'd look?"

"No, ok then." Harry began to scramble again

"Look, get dressed, I'll find it." Draco picked up his wand, "accio Potter's invisibility cloak!" Harry watched amazed as his cloak flew to Draco, rendering his wand arm invisible as it draped across it.

"Why didn't I think of that?"

"Because you're stupid. Now go to dinner before your followers get nervous."

"What about you?"

"A house elf serves me dinner here. You know him, I believe."

"Dobby?"  
  


"Yes. Not all of my family were bad to him. He owes me his life several times over." 

"Ok," Harry left the room, cloak over himself. 

"Potter?" said Draco, with a devilish smirk on his face. 

"Yup?"

"You talk in your sleep."


	12. 12: dinner and a show

**_Hello! I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, to those who reviewed, double thanks:_**

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**_Anniacuru: my beta. I'm sure you'll get round to it asayc. *sends a bashful Harry for Rave.*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: Yay! Glad you liked it. Hope you like this chapter! *sends whipped-cream-covered Draco*_**

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**_DraysBabe-04: glad you like my references! Hope you enjoy the story! Could you leave an email address next time so I can email you when I update? *sends Harry over to play*_**

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**_Silverfox_****_, the evil hyper: welcome back, glad you love it! *sends a shivering Harry to you covered in vanilla ice-cream*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: we all love Draco, well apart from a friend of my mums, we got in a huge argument about him, she can't stand the 'pathetic baby bully' in the books. Well, she has never gone on Fanfiction! Don't listen to her, we all love him. *sends Draco with chocolate mousse*_**

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**_Icyfire2: olo. Olo. Olo.  Glad you like the story, and Draco. *sends honey-covered Draco*_**

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**_Vicky! : Thanks for reviewing me… glad you like the story. This is what I'm constantly writing in boring classes. *cough* French *cough* you hate me? *cries* yes, we all love Draco; it has been mentioned before,(see above). *sends a chocolate covered Draco*_**

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**_Alleus_****_: firstly, glad you love the story, it isn't really a comic story, as you'll see in the plot, but Draco is so witty, his one-liners are always amusing. Olo. Anyway, on the animagi thing, I will continue it; it's the main plot stream for the story. I have already decided what they will be as well! I have to develop other aspects of the story first, to add layers, like Draco and Harry's relationship, but it is coming… in your next review could you leave your email address, and then I can email you when I update. *sends a chocolate covered Draco.*_**

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**_Callout for Sammi: Where are you? *cries* *sulks* *pouts* you didn't review… Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! _**

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**_To everyone else… Enjoy!!!!!_**

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**_Key_**

**_An/prophesy/poem_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

_~~~ = scene change._

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**_Chapter 12._****__**

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_Please say he didn't hear my dream; please please pretty please with all of Honeydukes on top… _Harry was pleading to all the gods he had heard of as he walked to the Gryffindor tower.

Draco's words had him horrified; he had been having a very 'pleasant' dream about Draco, and if he knew, it would be over the school in minutes. "I'll expose him! He's told me enough…" but the sensible side to him prevented this thought going any further. He changed quickly and ran to the dining hall in trepidation. As he entered, there were no new murmurs and no heads turned. Not even Ron and Hermione realised that he had entered. Harry walked to them, slightly disconcerted. Dumbledore grinned at him and gestured subtly to his collar. Harry's eyes fell to his own. _Idiot! I'm still wearing the invisibility cloak!!! Harry smiled sheepishly at Dumbledore and left the hall. It was too late to re-enter; so Harry made for the kitchens. Near the entrance, he met Dobby, who was holding what looked like a banquet._

"Mr Potter, sir, how are you today? I hope you are feeling great. I must go now, but thank you, kind Mr Potter sir, for dropping in, sir. Is there anything that you want?"

"No, just dinner. I'll be fine Dobby, and please call me Harry." He surveyed the tray. "Is this all for Draco?"

"Mr Malfoy? Oh yes, he likes having a wide variety, even though he only eats the Russian salad and roast potatoes. He doesn't touch dessert at all. But it is proper, Mr Harry sir that a wizard chooses what he wants."

"Is that so? Well, I think I'll join him in his feast." At these words, Dobby flinched but nodded and took Harry's hand. 

"Hold on, Mr Harry sir!" immediately, the tray, Harry and Dobby disappeared and reappeared in Draco's quarters.

"Finally, Dobby, what took you so long?" Draco descended a flight of stairs which Harry was sure weren't there a minute ago. He was wearing an open black silk shirt and matching boxers, nothing else…

He walked up to Dobby and froze as he saw an awestruck Harry. "You again? Why aren't you at dinner? Why couldn't you leave me in peace?"

"I thought you might need help finishing your banquet, Malfoy." Said Harry, who had finally recovered from seeing Draco so sexily attired. 

"If you're here for food, stop undressing me with your eyes. I find these clothes comfortable, and wouldn't like to change." Draco smirked at Harry's blush. "Go on then, sit down." Harry turned to say goodbye to Dobby to find that he had already gone, with the tray left on the table. Harry and Draco moved to sit when a red light flashed on the wall. 

"Bugger!" Draco swore, and I mock politeness, "Excuse me while I get rid of some unwanted guests." He walked to the stairs, (which had appeared again) and went up the stairs gracefully.

From the distance, Harry could hear screaming, a dismayed gasp and then several thuds. Draco returned several minutes later sans shirt and with ever so slightly ruffled hair.

"Who and whose army attacked you?" asked Harry surprised.

"Just the fucking girl guide parade. If they are going to complain afterwards, don't bloody come in the first place!!!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Only that bitch and her followers! She ambushed me in my own room and they attacked me!"

"What was the screaming?"

"Outrage. I told them that if they took it in turns to ravage me, then they would have my undivided attention."

"Not a good move."

"They are bloody savages!"

"Whose room is this then?" asked the confused Gryffindor.

"Mine, being Snape's favourite has its advantages; my dorm-room leads to this. No-one knows about it apart from Snape, Dobby and you." **So Dumbledore probably knows.**

"Are the girls ok?"

"I knocked them out. It isn't fair to attack someone who is too refined to know anything about fist fighting." At Harry's gaze he continued like a petulant child, "There were ten of them! Against one of me, even you could predict the outcome if I hadn't used magic!"

"Did they have wands?" Harry was worried for them, despite what Draco said.

"They had fucking handcuffs!"

"I would have thought that you would jump to the chance of using those."

"Oh, ha ha Potter. Everyone knows that if bondage is an issue, I am the one tying people up."

"So you like them helpless?"  
  


"Not particularly, but it adds the element of surprise."

"Excuse my ignorance on this subject, I've never practised it. How does surprise come in?"

"Because I could just leave the person there for hours and read a book. I have restraint." **Although you didn't show it last night, imbecile!** "So I can bear it."

"Evil, I see how that would work…"

"Feel free to come and experience it, I'm sure someone ignoring the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived would be a novelty."

"I'd like to see you try. You couldn't survive without insulting Me." _or kissing me…_

"I'm not going to put myself out just so you can have a new experience. And besides, irritating you is much more fun."

"And it is ample source of enjoyment for you."

"Naturally!"

"Typical."

"So are you done eating my food?"

"Pretty much," Harry answered.

"So you can leave now."

"Hostile you your guests, aren't you?"

"As far as my memory recalls, I didn't invite you."

"True, ok I'll leave… after dessert." Harry said with a gleam in his eyes.

"You mean all that rice pudding you consumed wasn't adequate?"

"Nope." Harry leaned over the table and captured Draco's lips with his own. Draco's astonishment melted and soon he too engaged in the consummation of dessert.

"Feisty little devil, aren't you? Well that works fine." Harry mock pouted, but made to leave. "See you tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"The first quidditch match of the year? Or does the great Harry Potter not bother with remembering such facts?" this struck a nerve; Harry had not been told about the match and wasn't sure if he was going to play. He wasn't captain, Ron was, and they had recently been holding Seeker tryouts. 

"Just slipped my mind." _No way am I telling him the truth!_

"So the challenge isn't important to you then?"

"No, it's not a challenge…"

"We're not a challenge? That's rich!"

"You are, but I don't…"_ to hell with it. _"I'm not sure if I'm playing." This confession received a startled look from Draco before he composed himself.

"You're not playing? Come off it! You're the best rider in Gryffindor," **probably the school…** "No matter how stupid the weasel is, he is not going to turn you down just to try and be 'fair'."

"I haven't got a broom; Voldemort broke it up last year. I'll have to use a school nimbus 2000."

"Please, they are useless. I'll lend you one of mine."

"But you own a Stratostar! They're top of the range!"

"Correction, I have two, one of which you will borrow."

"Why? Don't you want to win?"

"Cocksure git, aren't you? I want to win, but I don't want a pushover. It's no victory. Having to play Hufflepuff is demeaning, don't you think so too?"

"I don't, I mean, I suppose so. It is kinda boring."

"Exactly my point. Why compete when it is not a competition?" Draco accio'd his brooms. "I often enchant these to fly against me when I practise. There are no curses on it which I know of. Come out onto the pitch, it's not dark yet. You can get used to the broom. We can practise with this." Draco held up a snitch, it was the right size, but it was a bright green and had a red dragon on it. "I got this on my ninth birthday." He laughed at Harry's admiration of it.

"It's so beautiful!"

"Did you expect me to have anything but the best?"

"No, I just hadn't thought of buying one." In truth, Harry hadn't realised that you could buy them.

"Hm." Draco raised an eyebrow. He didn't push it however, but took his brooms and walked upstairs gesturing for Harry to follow him under his cloak. Harry did as he was told. A black eyed boy came into Draco's official room just as the stairs dematerialised behind Harry. 

The boy went up to Draco. He spoke with a strong Geordie accent. "Watch out mate, Charlie Sinestra's on the warpath upstairs."

"I am not, nor ever will be your 'mate' Smith. So, the whore's name is Sinestra…" Draco dismissed Smith. "Bugger. This means we take the other route out."


	13. 13: broomsticks, engravings and a head

**_Hello everybody! You will have noticed my new penname; I got it from chapter 11. Anyway, this is a LONGGGGGGGGG chapter, so please Review!!!!!!!!!!!_**

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**_Anniacuru: my suffering Beta. You inspire me for this story, couldn't do it well without you._**

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**_Malfoy+Harry_****_: soon enough for you? Glad you love it, yes; I know I'm the best! Hope you like this chapter, loads of plot and loads of Draco. Please review! *sends a chocolate covered Harry*_**

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**_Luna Aelf Writer: I'll save Harry for Draco… *licks lips* thanks for reviewing me! Please don't change into Jar Jar though… ARG, anyway, *Sends Draco encapsulated in Turkish delight*_**

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**_Icyfire2: olo. Draco is nice… hope you like this chapter!!! *sends a honey covered Draco*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! You are burning Draco! You cruel child!!! He does not need Hot fudge!!!!!! *Sends inflatable Draco instead.*_**

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**_Me: Draco, poor baby, did she hurt you?_**

**Draco: I don't like her anymore, have you ever tried to gat fudge out of your hair?**

**_Me: but are you hurt?_**

**Draco: and a cherry? What does she think I am?**

**_Me: are you bloody burnt?_**

**Draco: a bit. But I'll get Harry to make them better. *purrs***

**_Me: Hmph. *Sends Blaise as well as blow up Draco*_**

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**_Vicky: Glad you like it! Hope you enjoy this! *sends Draco covered in acacia honey*_**

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**_To everyone else, Enjoy!!!!!_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An/prophesy/poetry_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = scene/ POV change

**_Chapter 13_**

****

Draco turned and walked down a corridor which ended abruptly at a large snake engraving. Harry watched him puzzled. 

**I Fucking HATE doing this! **Draco walked up to the picture, jaw clenched. "Salazar, serpent king, burrow to the outside." The snake seemed to stare at him expectantly. "To see how worthless we are." Draco continued through gritted teeth. It stayed still. Harry stifled a laugh. "Fine!" Snapped Draco, he hated grovelling, but this seemed the only way to get the snake to open the entrance. "See if you do better!"

Harry grinned, _this will be easy._ He shook off his cloak and walked up to the statue. The snake's eyes focused on him. "I do not know you, but I ssssssee your tongue."

"I am Harry Potter. Who'sssss sssnake are you?" hissed Harry in parseltongue. 

"Do I look like I belong to a mere Wizzzzard?"  Asked the snake angrily.

Harry smiled, in his night wanderings he had come across many snake portraits, mostly in the Slytherin dungeons. They all acted like they owned the place. "I'm ssssssure," replied Harry smoothly, adjusting his tack to deal with arrogance. "Why do you grace the dungeonssssssss when you desssserve much better?"

"At lassst, a fork tongue who agreesssss! I am on guard duty, thissss passssage leadssss to the groundsssss. I told them it wassss fine, but they wanted to sssstop him coming back."

"Who came through thissss door?"

"Why the lord, of coursssssse!"

"Voldemort?" hissed Harry surprised.

"Assss humanssss call him, yessssss."

"May I sssssee the passssage the lord has graced" asked Harry cautiously.

"He hassss defiled them!" replied the snake. 

_Bloody portraits and their confusing stupid… _Harry rushed in to try and pacify the snake. "He isss a mere worm. He mussst be sssstopped. I can do that. Let me through."

"I mussst not!"

"I musssst go through!"

"what of that albino? He grovelsssssss reluctantly to try and sssssssssssssssssway me. I let him passsss to avoid violenssssssse on hissssss part."

"He might get violent. I WILL get violent!" said Harry coldly.

The snake may have caught the glint in his eyes, for his said, "you may passs, itsssss on your headsssssssssss!" Harry dragged Draco through the wall mirage and into a well lit corridor as the snake slithered back into place.

~~~

"What did you just do?" asked an awed Draco. He had watched their conversation enviously, and heard Harry's last hiss, the tone of which screamed 'I'm evil, don't mess with Me.' he cursed himself for not just blasting the snake out of the wall.

"Parseltongue. Remember 2nd year?"

"Oh yeah." Draco remembered, he had the invisible scars on his back to prove that his father knew too. Draco remembered his words, 'this golden boy is even beating you at being evil! You are no son of mine!'

"It's cool; so many paintings have them, they're quite the gossip-mongers!"

"I've never heard one before. It sounds interesting. What did he say?"  
  


"That he was guarding the passage because Voldemort used it to get in trying to recruit new blood, no doubt. And that you were a grovelling albino."

All of Draco's interest in the snake now left him. "Well Fuck Him!" replied Draco angrily, "That's the last time I ask him, and next time I'll just blast him into snake hell!" Draco was furious at the degradation. "Do engravings have a hell?" he asked as an afterthought.

"Forbidden corridor on the left. It's all writhing and not pretty."

"I'll keep an eye out for that!" Draco handed Harry on of the brooms as the tunnel opened outside. Harry held it in reverence; this was so top of the range, it was only available to multimillionaire premiere quidditch players.

"It's amazing!"

Draco approved of Harry's admiration. In all his pride, he still loved flying, and this was the closest to becoming a bird. "They are temperamental though, you need power to control them airborne, and not just physical." Draco's voice lost his superior drawl slightly as they talked about something that they were the same level on.

Suddenly Harry kicked off, thinking that if they didn't shut up, they would never get to fly. "Race you to the Whomping Willow!"

"You're on Potter!" Draco kicked off, marvelling at Harry's flight. **He's a natural; the brooms been tamed!** Draco made his mind up and zoomed after Harry catching him up as they reached the tree.

"Tie" Harry said breathlessly. "The broom has so much magic in it, I can feel it coursing through me like adrenaline."

"You tamed the broom Harry, it's yours."

Harry thought he had heard wrong; the boy who wouldn't initially let him use his shower was giving him a broom which cost a fortune. "You can't do that, it's too expensive."

"For normal people Harry, not for us." The way Draco said that sent chills up Harry's spine. _Us! There's an 'Us'!!!_

"How can I ever thank you?" asked an ecstatic Harry.

"Just don't get kicked off the quidditch team again!" Draco smiled.

"What's his name?" _why did I ask that? I'm such an idiot, he probably will think I'm so stupid naming a broom and calling it by a name and not…_

Harry's mind musings were cut short when Draco answered, "Silverflight." **I thought I was the only one who gave brooms identities and don't refer to them by 'it'! **

"Such a fitting name, considering his previous owner!" Harry blushed at his words, but continued, "What's yours called?"

"Dragonflame. Not original, but what can I say?"

"It suits his master. I love Silverflight, she's so beautiful. Thank you so much, Draco."

"No problem, it means I can have decent practises, and proper games." Draco threw something at Harry, who deftly caught it. He was about to throw it back when the tree below them began to move. The Whomping willow wasn't happy about the meeting being held above its branches. It decided that they needed to reconvene… It lashed up, hoping that aiming wouldn't matter with 'scared children on splinters'.

Harry saw the vine first, and grabbed Draco's broom quickly, realising that to speak would take too long. **What the… was all Draco could think before a vine caught the tail of his broom, catapulting Draco off it like an angry see-saw. Harry turned, grabbed the spinning broom and put it next to his between his legs. He dived as fast as he could on order to catch the plummeting boy before he became the breakfast pate. **

He flew below Draco and caught the flailing boy in his outstretched arms. _Not as light as you look!_ The brooms sagged momentarily adjusting to the extra weight. But soon they steadied themselves and Harry flew, guiding them with his knees never letting go of Draco.

They landed on the far side of the quidditch pitch next to the forest. "Draco, are you ok?" the sincerity in his tone was evident. Draco looked up at the boy who was still cradling him in his arms. 

"I think you can put me down now." Harry obliged, and seeing that his sarcasm was intact, he promptly dropped Draco, who yelped. Harry laughed at the scowling boy. "Hey, you did ask!"

"Hmph. Are all your brooms destined to be demolished Potter?"

"Perhaps, either that or just bad luck." 

"Thank you for saving me, Harry. I know I'm delicious, but I wouldn't have wanted all those creatures of Hagrid's acknowledging it as they licked me off the grass!"

Harry laughed and threw the snitch back to Draco. But just before it reached him, it sped off in another direction. "Shit! Draco, I'm so sorry!"

Draco mounted his waiting broom. "Don't be sorry, help me catch it!" the boys sped off following the snitch. It teased them, winding in and out of the trees, deeper and deeper into the forbidden forest. Harry narrowly missed a few trees as he flew frantically trying to keep his eye on the green dragon snitch. 

Suddenly, the snitch just stopped and dropped out of mid air. The boys sped by and had to reverse before following the plunging ball. It hits the ground soundlessly, and the boys dismounted. Draco picked it up, or at least, he tried to. **That's strange…** Harry tried to pry it from the ground. "It's like a magnet on metal. There is something underground."

"And the prize for stating the bloody obvious goes to…" muttered Draco as he stood up and conjured a shovel. "Go dig."

"Why me?"

"Because you lost it."  
  


"It wasn't my fault!"

"Yes it was."

Harry decided that arguing would do no good so he began digging. After a few minutes of working around the snitch he hit something hard. He dug around a large box and lifted it out of the ground with a grunt.

"I dug, you open." Harry collapsed to the ground by the hole and sat up. Draco stood over the box and pulled open the lid using the snitch as a handle. It flew off propelling Draco into a bush. Ignoring the stream of curses from the thorny bush Harry peered into the box. Inside was a mutilated head. On the forehead etched in with something jagged, was the word, 'AUROR' _what the hell?_

Draco scrambled out of the bush looking very angry. "It better be worth it! I have thorns everywhere!" he stomped over to the box and froze as he saw the contents. "What the hell is that?" he asked angrily.

"I don't know, it looks like a head."

"Of course it's a head, moron! It was a rhetorical question!"

"I think… I'm…" Harry rushed off to be violently ill behind a tree.

Draco stared at the mangled head. **Someone had taken a lot of pleasure doing that… he thought back to his 9th birthday party; where his father had given the snitch to him…**

#~~~**_Flashback~~~#_**

****

"Happy birthday, son!" Lucius descended the stairs to the main hall where a party was being held. He didn't shout and was as graceful as a cat, but the whole hall heard him and was silent. At the centre of the hall sat a little boy on the floor in a mountain of wrapping paper. He looked bored, but at his father's arrival he jumped up excitedly. His other presents were discarded as he ran to him. **Father always did give the most precious presents…**

The year before that, his present was a vial of mooncalf blood. Adding that to a glass of milk and drinking it before you slept gave the person have dreams of inner wisdom. The things that he would be told would only be relevant to him. So precious was the liquid that Draco had it locked up in his personal vault at Gringotts. It could only be used once, so Draco was saving it for when in dire need.

Lucius embraced the boy and gave him a small parcel wrapped in white silk. The young boy ripped it open and threw the silk behind him, to be caught by an apprentice house-elf called Dobby. He slipped away unnoticed.

The snitch flittered up level with Draco's face, as if evaluating him. It dropped into Draco's hands and closed its wings. 

"I saw this, my boy, and I knew you were worthy for it. I obtained it from a pitiful wizard who wanted to get rid of it." A few of the men at the party sniggered at this point, but the excited boy in front of them didn't hear them. A glare from Lucius silenced them. "People only deserve what they deserve. It is a lie to assume yourself higher, and ridiculous to believe yourself lower."

The boy hugged his father and ran off to play with his new toy in the gardens.

#~~~**_End Flashback~~~#_**

**How those words made sense now… My own father killed someone for me.** A part of Draco wanted to feel proud; that his father loved him enough to kill someone on his behalf. But the other side of him knew that his father would have killed this man anyway, Draco's birthday or not. He placed the snitch with his rightful owner and shut the box. 

"Harry?" he called, "Where are you?" the retching sounds had ceased. Draco looked around and found him slumped forwards leaning on a tree, slightly green in the face. He was crying. "What's wrong?"

"All dead, so many dead, my fault!"

"It wasn't your fault, it was my father's. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"Everyone relied on me to kill him, I should have!" Draco stepped closer to the boy and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. 

"Don't worry, Headmaster D will sort it out. He'll find out who the head is."

"Everyone is relying on me, I can't cope."

"Sure you can! You're as stubborn as hell! Now come on, lets get back to the castle before people realise we're gone." Draco picked Harry up and frog-marched him to the brooms. He picked up the box and placed it on his broom conjuring lashing to tie it secure.  They set off, first rising until they could see the school and then flying towards it. They got off on the grounds by the main entrance. 

"Best not to go in together." Harry said sadly. He gestured for Draco to go in. he refused.

"Ladies first!" he bowed.  Harry laughed and hit him lightly. Draco watched him enter, his tinkling laugh still in his mind.

~~~

As Harry entered the common room looking for his friends, he was swamped by a group of Gryffindors he was sure Hermione had stationed there to watch for him. 

"WOW Harry! Where d'ya get da Broom?" asked Dean. 

"A friend gave it to me for a birthday present."

"Pretty rich friend," muttered Ron.

"But your birthday's in summer!" yelled Seamus.

"Yeah, well it covers that and Christmas for the next ten or so years…" Harry said trying to diffuse Ron.

"Who was it?" _Does Ron always have to ask the wrong thing?_

"I can't say." He glared pointedly at Ron. The others shut up realising that Harry wanted some privacy. Ron however, wasn't that observant. 

"Why not? It's not your new girlfriend is it?"

"Who? What?"

Ron looked smug. "Hermione let on that you had someone."

"She did what?"

"Don't worry; you can date a Ravenclaw if you want."

"I'm not!"

"If you say so, Harry…"

"I'M NOT!!!"

"Fine then, jeesh, overreacting much?"

"See how you like it!" 

Ron was about to reply when Hermione came down the stairs. 

"What's all the racket? Harry where did you get that broom?"

"A friend!" cat-called Seamus. She looked at Harry, a question in her eyes. He answered silently with a brief nod of his head. Her eyes widened and she ran upstairs again dragging Harry with her.

"Thanks." 

"Don't thank me; just tell me EVERYTHING which happened."

"Um, Herm, I…"

"How many times have you heard me telling Ron, DON'T CALL ME HERM!!!"

"Sorry, Hermione. It's just we, I don't want to…"

"Never mind, we'll talk tomorrow. It's late. 'Night Harry."

"Night Hermione."

~~~

While this was happening, Draco had gone to Dumbledore's office levitating the box by his side covered in the invisibility cloak Harry had lent him. At his voice, the door opened. He walked up the stairs and was greeted by the head in a fluffy dressing gown and bunny slippers.

"To what do I owe this pleasure Draco?" asked Dumbledore, eyes glinting and focused not on him, but the box. 

"I'm sorry sir; I wouldn't have expected that such an illustrious head would go to bed at 10:30."

"You mean my gown? Oh, I don't sleep; these are just more comfortable when I'm not expecting visitors. You can ask Harry just how many colours of slippers I have, he seems to find this time appropriate to visit me as well."

"Why would I speak to Potter?"

Dumbledore's smile widened. He glanced behind Draco and Draco followed his gaze. It fell on two portraits. One was of Hecate, in all her divine splendour. She was beautiful, and was dressed in a slinky blue velvet robe. She was having tea with the occupant of the other frame, Circe. They were talking animatedly. Draco groaned; Harry had told him that Hecate was the only portrait powerful enough to actually guard the 'Saviour' and that it was the entrance to his room. Circe however, was His Guardian. Circe was talking at great speed in a language similar to Greek to Hecate who was smirking evilly. Draco heard his name come up along with Harry's. He turned to Dumbledore, who was also smiling. Draco's feeble hopes of his ignorance were squashed. 

"I'll just go then…" Draco made to slink out of the room. 

"Aren't you going to show me the box you are hiding under Harry's cloak?

Surprised, Draco turned and passed the box to Dumbledore. He put it on his table and opened it. As he saw the contents, his eyes lost their sparkle. "The snitch was yours?"

"His." Draco answered solemnly.

"You may go."

"But Potter's cloak?"

"Oh yes," Dumbledore picked it up and walked slowly to the portraits, his age shining through. "Hecate, darling, would you please give this to Harry?" the portrait woman sighed and materialised in the room. 

"All right Alby." She turned to leave, but saw Draco by the door. "Ooh, is that him?" she asked Circe. She merely nodded. Hecate purred and licked her lips, "Well, Harry certainly has excellent taste!" She arched her back seductively and put on a mock innocent voice, eyes wide, "Don't you think so, Alby?" the innocence was lost though as she sucked her thumb suggestively. In the background, Circe was in hysterics.

"Yes, well, it's not for me to judge." Answered a flustered Dumbledore. 

"Oh, of course I forgot, you love your Miner…"

"Harry's cloak!" Dumbledore cut in. **So the old guy isn't perfect! HA Take That!!!!**

"Why of course! She took the cloak and waved to Draco. After seeing Dumbledore of all people be embarrassed, Draco felt his confidence flow back. He blew a kiss to Hecate who smirked and wrapped the cloak around herself and reappeared in the painting.

"You can go now, good night"

"You too, Alby!" Draco departed listening to Dumbledore's laughs resounding down the stairs.

Draco made his way to his room carefully avoiding all members of the female sex. He changed into pyjamas and got a glass of milk from a tray on the table. (Dobby had been there earlier.)

He went to his suitcases and got out a large chest. He opened it using a small key he had got from another suitcase. Draco got out the vial and added it to his milk.

Draco drank the now purple milk and got into bed. 

**Sweet dreams.**


	14. 14: a dream and an annoying gossip

**_Thank you to all my reviewers!_**

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**_Annaicuru_****_: my beta, soon to be co-writer in Fictionpress. Love you, *sends a willing Draco over to help re-enacting your r scenes*_**

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**_Jessica Collett: No-one gets to hurt Draco and live without the consequences. If you promise not to hurt him… *sends a worried Draco to you with chocolate* glad you like the chapter though, and hope you enjoy this one._**

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**_Luna aelf writer: yes, Turkish delight is too good a sweet to waste… don't worry about taking Harry; as long as Draco enjoyed his company… glad you love the new name, I had this huge argument with my mum about it… *banishes Jar Jar from this universe, (although he is cute in an infuriating way)* hope you like this chapter, *sends an envoy of Turkish delight with Draco*_**

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**_Silverwolf_****_-mage-of-light: glad you loved the chapter, hope you enjoy this one. As you asked so nicely, *sends Draco along* although, I think he prefers some of his nights with Harry… no offence…_**

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**_Morbid Mind: stay out of the drinks cabinet! Thanks for your review, hope you like this chapter!  *sends a lot of chocolate and Blaise…*_**

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**_Strykerr_****_: Wahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!! I have you hooked!!!! I often stay up really late to finish reading too, Glad you liked it, hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends a honey covered Draco*_**

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**_Icyfire2: glad you liked it. *sends Draco with jam doughnuts.* hope you like this one._**

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**_Malfoy+harry_****_: here's the dream sequence, hope it reached your expectations, sorry it took so long to update. *sends Draco with mint viennetta*_**

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**_Alleus_****_: I am evil…. WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  anyway, hope you like this chapter, *sends Harry over with chocolate hundreds and thousands.*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: You're Back!!! Welp? Anyway, you're right about the dream sequence, but Draco won't realise it just yet. I'm so glad that my story made you hyper! *sends Draco with a truck full of Magnums.*_**

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**_To everyone who didn't review, I hope you enjoy this as well, but you'll never get a honey covered Draco if you don't review!!!_**

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**_Key: _**

**_An, prophesy, poetry, letter._**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = scene/POV change.

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**_Enjoy!_**

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**_Chapter 14_**

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Draco gulped down the vile concoction and fell asleep. 

In his dream, he was walking down a dark stone corridor. Draco wasn't afraid because it reminded him of the vast cavernous tunnels under Malfoy Mansion. The corridor opened out into what looked like a glade in the middle of a forest. In the middle of the glade was a pedestal. And on that pedestal was…

"Harry!!!" Draco ran to the pedestal to see if Harry was ok. He was lying peacefully on his back. He didn't wake. "Are you ok?" and "Wake up you Idiot!" both exited the blonde boy's mouth. But still, he didn't wake.

Draco looked around for any signs of life. He heard a faint melody to the right, it sounded like panpipes. He walked through thick bushes following the enchanting tune. He reached the edge of the shrubbery and Draco was met by a very strange sight… 

A large snake with a piccolo in his mouth was swaying to his own song. In front of him were 7 baskets. One by one people emerged to the beat of the melody. They were dressed in black robes and wore Death Eater masks. They got out of the baskets and walked into the snake's mouth which managed to eat them while continuing to play. Last of them came a tall man with long white-blonde hair. **Father!** He walked slowly, as if limping. The snake waited impatiently and seeing no acceleration on the man's part, disappeared taking the song with it. The man limped to the stone the snake was on seconds before. He sat down and wept. As he removed his mask, Draco saw that it wasn't his father, but himself. 

He heard shrieks and shouts in the direction where Harry was. Draco left the sobbing version of himself and ran back to be greeted by thousands of robed adults cheering on the large snake as he slowly ingested Harry. The snake was at his knees working up.  "NO!!!" Draco pushed his way to the front of the now jeering crowd.

The snake turned, "So, you want a front seat at your lover's death; how very noble of you!" he hissed a laugh which was echoed by the crowd. Draco tried to pull Harry out of the snake's mouth, but he was just too heavy to budge. Suddenly he opened his eyes. Silver met green, and Draco knew what to do. His heart breaking, he stepped down and watched as the snake ate Harry, not once leaving Harry's serene eyes, not even to blink. The snake finished and laughed, "Delicious, I should have tried to do that earlier!"

He rose from the plinth and slithered towards Draco. Fire blazed in Draco's eyes, and a hatred he had never known himself to possess surfaced. Draco spat into the snake's eye. The snake, paralysed in shock, stood still. A thundering din broke out from behind the platform. A herd of unicorns erupted from the trees and stampeded the snake and its followers. Draco gazed at the trampled men and smiled; there was a baby unicorn standing among the mangled corpses, golden coat glistening in the light. He trotted over to Draco and inclined his head. Draco stroked the soft fur of its nose. It whinnied and walked off.

It was then when Draco woke up sweaty and puzzled.

~~~

**Do I really care for him? I saw him there and I watched him die. His eyes, they called to me, consoled me… he was eaten by evil and he asked me to stay away.**

**Stupid!!! Why was he being so stupid? I don't want him to die… Why don't I want him to die? Why am I so troubled? What was the bloody 'divine' message? That I would cry at loosing the chance of being fooled? I dance to my own tune! I don't cry; Malfoy's never cry. Some damn wisdom! **

Draco sat on his armchair with his perplexed head in his hands. After hitting his head several times with his arithmancy textbook (Maths Can Be Fun, by Calculi Bonaticus) he decided that he still didn't know the answer, and promptly cradled his hurt head. Thankfully, it wasn't bruising, so Draco wouldn't have to hide from everyone all day. He opened his throbbing eyes to glance at his timetable for the day. **I hate Tuesdays.** He had woken up around 6am, so Draco knew that he would be alone for at least another half an hour. (Slytherins were early risers in general, with the whole 'seize the day' thing)  Draco went to his private bathroom, (another privilege of being Snape's favourite) and ran the bath. As the bath was filling, Draco zapped himself with an effective headache removal spell. It worked like a charm. He got into the now full and vanilla scented bath.** I always loved vanilla…** It was warm and relaxing, and soon Draco was nodding off again in the aromatic water. 

He woke up an hour later to alarms going off in the main room. **What the?** He got out quickly and put on a dressing gown, the same one Harry had yanked off him a few nights ago. Draco smirked at the memory of Harry's flushed face, but hastened to see what the racket was about in his dorm room. He raced up the stairs which materialised with each step. He waited on the last step watching his room intently. Someone was rooting through his things. He was in a hurry, and wasn't doing a great job at finding whatever he was looking for. He looked up at Draco, as if he could see him, (which he couldn't, because separating them was a magical one way glass.) He ran, but not before Draco realised just who was there, it was Peter Pettigrew…

Draco ran out and looked to see if anything was missing. Not that there would be though, as apart from his clothes, all of Draco's possessions were in his room downstairs. Doubtlessly, he had been there on orders, as a reconnaissance agent perhaps. Draco didn't care; he just wanted anything which that slimy rat had touched to be sterilised in every form possible. He dressed himself in navy Armani **_(you thought they only did Muggle supplies? Hell no!) _And walked to breakfast, only accosted by three people, who were quickly dispersed by Goyle and Crabbe. ****Morons, but, they do their job. Draco shook them off as he sat down and they plodded off to sit next to some other goons. **

As soon as Draco walked in, Blaise left the group he was sitting in and proudly walked towards Draco, who inclined his head in acceptance. He sat next to Draco and began to cheerfully pass on all the gossip until a withering glare from Draco told him wordlessly to shut up. "You're cheerful this morning," observed Blaise dryly. 

"It is definitely turning out to be an absolutely wonderful day!" Said Draco sarcastically with mock enthusiasm.

"Don't be like that, Drake, look on the bright side, no Divination!"

"I was named after a dragon, not a duck, please cease to call me that."

"If you say so."

"I did and unless you are telepathic, you wouldn't have known."

"Stop being so ratty; just because you had a bad dream doesn't mean you can take it out on me."

"But when you offer yourself so willingly as a punch bag?"

"Hmph." Blaise lost his smile for a minute but just when Draco thought he could eat in peace; his grin reappeared like a Cheshire Cat. "I know something about you which no one else knows!" he sang in an infuriating tone of voice which would have made anyone other than a fully trained Malfoy hit him. 

"Pray tell." Draco raised an eyebrow, ready to receive some rubbish created in malice or jealously.

Blaise leaned in closer, looking to see if anyone was looking at them. **Conspicuous much?** "Something about you and a particular other person we both know and love."

"What mindless nonsense have you picked up from the floor this time?" asked Draco, tired of his antics.

"Not the floor, my good friend, but the walls, and a certain wall."

"I am not your friend. Which wall?"

"One with a certain picture on it…"

"And this would be?"

"Of a snake."

"And he told you, what? As far as I know, you are not parseltongue."

"I know, only one person in this school is."

"That being…"

"That being… Harry Potter."

"And this involves me how?" asked Draco, using his training to its advantages.

"Because you are blonde and have pale features, thus qualifying you with 'albino' status."

"Albino? Are you comparing me to a rodent, Zabini?" despite his practice, Draco felt angry at this, **how could he know about that?**

"No, not me, the snake was." answered Blaise hastily.

"And you know this, because?" 

"Because, no one alive speaks parseltongue, but the Bloody Baron does, and you know how close we are…"

Draco did know; he got most of his inter-school relations gossip off Blaise, and the only way they knew about to infiltrate the staff room was through the ghost. Blaise repaid him by holding various parties for the ghosts and paying the cost. This only happened annually though, and the Zabini family weren't that badly off, so this wasn't a bad deal. "What did the snake say." Asked Draco, wondering just how soon he would send the creature to the hell Harry told him about on the third floor.

"Something about a Parseltongue first wanting to worship the Lord, and then wanting to vanquish him."

"And I come in where?"

"The part which he said that the 'fork tongue' had a pet albino which he restrained so that he could talk to him." answered Blaise gleefully.

"How much?" Draco asked grudgingly.

"Oh no, this is too big to simply buy, Draco, this should be public knowledge!"

"Don't they deserve an exclusive?" asked Draco, intentions shrouded in diplomacy.

"Yes they do!"

"Good, I'll give you one before Trans." Draco led Blaise off into a nearby classroom. 

"Go on then, your turn to spill!"

"One word, Zabini" said Draco clearly, taking his wand out, "Obliviate!"

Draco walked out of the room observed by a confused Blaise wondering how he got into an empty storeroom. He staggered away to his first lesson forgetting all about the fact that Draco was in the room as well, and brandishing a wand…


	15. 15: finding out what's exactly on their ...

**_CALLING ALL READERS:_**

**_In a few chapters I will have a quidditch match and I am in need of players. Could you review me if you want to be a team member, and tell me the name you want to be known as. I think that they will be in Slytherin. I can't tell you the outcome of the match yet though!!!_**

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**_~~~_**

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**_Thank you to all my reviewers!_**

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**_Anniacuru: my long-suffering beta. Love you. *sends a maple syrup covered Draco to you*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: just breathe… Harry was eaten, but it was only metaphorical. Glad you love the story, *sends a perfectly alive Harry to you*_**

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**_Silver wolf: who said he was gay? Draco can be bi. And besides, he loves Harry. Hmph. Stop stealing my play-toys. Glad to hear from you! *sends Blaise over with cookies*_**

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**_Luna aelf writer: *eats cookies* Thanks!!!!! Glad you like it! Hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends Harry with whipped cream*_**

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**_Jessica L. Collett: arg! Your name keeps getting longer...! cheer up… I'm sorry, just don't hurt him… *sends Draco to you on a sugar high to cheer you up*_**

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**_Eadon_****_: a new reviewer!!! I'll see if I can put in some of those scenes, but no matter how much I read; I'm not familiar with male anatomy, and I try to be as accurate as possible. *sends your choice of Harry or Draco to you, covered in honey.*_**

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**_Beth: a new reviewer!!! I know what you mean; that's really irritating! Anyway, thanks for your review, glad you like this. *sends a honey covered (your choice of Harry or Draco)*_**

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**_To everyone else, enjoy!!!_**

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**_KEY_**

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**_An/poetry/prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ scene change. 

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**_Chapter 15:_**

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"Today we will do something a little unconventional," said the transfigurations teacher after they had taken the register. "We are going to transfigure this," she pointed to a large cauldron of coagulated grey substance on her desk. "As there will be no restrictions, it will have to be done in pairs, with only their partner in the room, as well as me of course."

"Professor, what are we going to transform it into?" asked Hermione. 

Her response was a smile as McGonagall replied, "I have no idea whatsoever."

"Than how do you expect us to transform the gel?" asked a snide Slytherin sitting next to Draco.

"You must close your thoughts and focus on the gel. Focus hard, until you only see the gel in your sight. Point your wand and watch it change. What did you expect?" answered McGonagall brusquely. Hermione bit back a laugh at the boy's face fall in embarrassment. "Weasley, you and your partner Zabini will be first. The rest of you wait in your library, be ready for your turn." She produced a list of partners and gave it to Hermione telling her to get the pairs together in due course and send them to her. 

The pupils evacuated the classroom and split up accordingly. Hermione turned to speak to Harry to see him racing off down the hall in the opposite direction. She saw that Pansy was in the same predicament that she was but her problem was with Draco. Hermione shrugged Harry's disappearance as teenage hormones and went to the library. Ten minutes later, Ron walked in crestfallen. Blaise bounded over to his friends sniggering. "What's up, Ron?"  
  


"It didn't work Mione, it stayed a pile of slush." He sat down depressed and pulled out a Chudley Cannons guidebook. "Where's Harry?"

"I'll find him." said Hermione. She and Theo Nott were after Seamus and Pansy who were in there now. Harry was last. She put down her book, (A Complete History of Mind Control by I. Noah Thought) and walked along the corridor she had seen Harry running 'and probably following Draco' she thought. 

She walked past all the classrooms listening intently for signs of life. All the rooms were deserted and she was just about to give up when a flustered Harry stumbled out of a closet with bite marks clearly visible on his chest due to his open shirt. He was still looking at the closet when Hermione, smirking, touched his shoulder. He swivelled around rapidly. "You should be more careful!" she pointed out smiling wickedly. 

"I can explain…" jumped in Harry. Hearing the tone of Harry's voice, Draco thought that he was talking to a friend. He didn't hear an explosion so that crossed out Ron. He had seen the looks shared between Harry and Hermione, and figured that it was her. He left the room behind Harry and surveyed the scene of a rapidly turning beetroot and a smirking bookworm. 

"See something you like, Granger?" he asked her.

Her response impressed Draco. She licked her lips very suggestively. This succeeded in making Harry, who had only ever seen the clean side of Hermione go even redder. She broke however at Draco's smile and began laughing. "You're so cute together!"

Hermione grinned at them. Draco was finding Harry's face very amusing and promptly delved into Harry's mouth with his tongue. Harry could have been initiated there and then into the Weasley clan; the colour he was turning. But Draco's formidable skill was so enticing that he forgot about Hermione until she tutted loudly.

"Could you move that to somewhere more private? I knew what to expect, but other people may suffer from minor heart attacks seeing you together." Seeing the gleam in Draco's eyes, she added, "And we wouldn't want that!" He smirked at her and Hermione gave up. "Come on. I'm next, you're last but you ought to make an appearance before people start worrying."

They walked back to the library just as a pair came out of the classroom looking stunned. "It was so cool!" muttered Seamus. 

"My turn," said Hermione, and went to fetch Theodore and entered the classroom in trepidation. Draco went to join his followers and Harry sat in the hallway, back resting against a wall until Hermione reappeared about five minutes later. She looked ecstatic. In this place, Harry stayed until it was his turn about half an hour later. Harry went to Draco's table and waited until he looked up.

"Is it time?"

"Yes, Malfoy. Why else would I be here?"

"I don't know how your little if existent mind works."

"You're right, there is an ulterior motive for me here;" said Harry sarcastically, "I just wanted to say how beautiful you look today!"

"I don't need you to tell me that." Said Draco, but rose from his seat anyway. "Let's get this over and done with then." 

Draco walked to Harry pushing him out of the way. Harry swore at him under his breath and followed him to McGonagall grumbling softly. Outside the library they were alone. They briefly kissed and walked into the classroom towards the professor. "Will this take long?" asked Harry glaring at Draco.

He looked affronted, "You detest me that much? I'm flattered, not."

"I don't detest you; you're just in my way."

"Well I just don't give a…"

"Boys!" shouted McGonagall, "Come here and stop complaining." The boys looked at each other and smiled when McGonagall had her back turned. 

 _And the award goes to…_

_~~~_

'Boys will be boys,' sighed McGonagall, as she saw the warring pupils in the room. What possessed Dumbledore to put them as a pair, she didn't know, but she trusted him. She turned back to them holding the gloopy substance. "You first Mr Potter. Don't worry; it will turn into something lurking in your thoughts. This is a vital key to your character as it will show which animal thought pattern you have."  She took out a ladle, scooped the substance and threw it on the floor. "Focus on it. Focus on the gel and it will become your animalistic instincts."

Harry walked up to the gel and focused. It wasn't working; out of the corner of his eye Draco was draped across a desk waiting patiently. This elicited a plethora of thoughts in Harry's head, none of which he absolutely wanted to get rid of. _Think of bad things, Voldemort, evil in general, ugly things, Filch, Arg!!!! _He glared at Draco who smirked at him. **Can't stop thinking about me? **He asked Harry in his mind. His expression conveyed the thought and Harry blushed. Draco turned away looking at a wall. McGonagall looked confused at the gesture but said nothing. _You are so going down for that!!! Harry shut out all his thoughts and everything around him. _A bit like Occumency._ He focused on the blob and it began to spin and grow paler. It turned a pale peachy colour and grew fair hair. It was becoming a face, and Harry knew just which face it was turning into; the smirk now visible… He quickly looked away breaking the focus hoping that McGonagall hadn't seen what it was turning into. Draco was still looking away, thankfully._

McGonagall looked disappointed at the fact that her prize student couldn't manifest his thoughts, but she concluded that they were to confusing. She called Draco up to the blob. 

Draco walked slowly to the gel. His thoughts weren't exactly clean at the moment and he was afraid that a naked Harry Potter might materialise in front of the real thing and a professor. **Focus! He looked at the androgynous gloop. ****Shut off all thoughts, focus, focus, Harry looks so cute watching me… no! FOCUS!!! Draco shut off all his thoughts. It was a lot easier when it was to block the pain of the beatings his father gave him; pain was easier to control than desire…**

The grey blob was moving, it was convulsing, shifting and changing colour. It was getting darker; a blacky colour. A loud hissing sound erupted from the goo as it deflated like a black balloon. It became solid and furry. The animal was curled up fast asleep. The type of animal was indiscernible. "Ok," Draco said, "It's time to see what I am." Draco picked up the ball of fur. It unfurled as a little kitten. It mewed, climbed up Draco's arm and fell asleep on his shoulder. "What the hell?" Draco exclaimed. Harry laughed and even McGonagall was stifling a giggle. 

"Awwwwwwwww. Professor, can we keep it?" asked Harry, all male attitude forgotten at the sight of Draco's astonished face glaring at the kitten oblivious of the anger of his bed. 

McGonagall let out her amusement. She giggled, smiling at Draco for once. "I think it is sweet. Malfoy, I didn't know you had such an adorable character!"  He glared at her and Harry. Harry seemed besotted with the thing however, so he didn't object.

"Please…" begged Harry like a five-year-old asking for his Christmas presents early. 

"I'll have to speak to Professor Dumbledore, Harry." Said McGonagall, remembering her station. 

"I'm sure he'd agree... he loves cats, he must do, otherwise why would he keep Mrs. Norris around?"

"That was uncalled for, Mr Potter." said McGonagall sternly, although she did agree with him. 

"Excuse me," interrupted Draco, "But can you agree what to do with mini-Draco so I can dislodge him from my robes?"

"Honestly, haven't you ever had a cat before?" asked McGonagall. She took the cat in her arms. Waking up, the cat yowled and tried to scratch her. She screamed and dropped him. 

"Ha. Now I know he's a mini-me! He hates Gryffindors!" Draco sneered as he watched the cat try to shred the professor's robes. She shooed him away. The cat noticed Harry. Harry was backing away; seeing what he had done to McGonagall made him wary of the little kitten. _He's a terror, like his maker! _

The kitten looked at Harry; as if evaluating him. He turned to Draco, who was still laughing about the apparent hatred of Gryffindors and looked at him too. The kitten walked up to Harry slowly and rubbed himself on his legs, purring. Harry was amazed, but that was nothing compared to McGonagall…

"Potter, why is that cat marking you his property?" she asked.

"I don't know." Harry answered as he glared at Draco.

"Don't move, wait a minute." The professor shook of her human form quickly and slinked over to the kitten in cat form. She began to miaw to the cat. They were deep in conversation until the kitten grew bored of it and climbed up to Harry's arms falling asleep in the crook of his elbow. McGonagall padded back to her robes and transformed back into human form, thankfully fully dressed. The boys looked at her questioningly as she observed them sceptically.

"What is it Professor?" asked Draco half annoyed, half worried; if the cat was him, he would have no qualms in telling her everything about his connection with Harry. 

She raised her eyebrows, "Mr Malfoy, I didn't know you were such a sex kitten!" with that she laughed and left the room happily having found something which would successfully rile Severus up. Whoever said that they were feuding, were seriously understating their actual battle of wits and blackmail. 

The boys looked at each other, "You dare…!" growled Draco, but it didn't work and Harry broke out in peals of laughter. The kitten woke up in his arms and scratched him for disturbing her. Harry's scream at the pain sent Draco off too, and soon they both were on the floor gasping for breath.


	16. 16: Seamus, kittens and confessions

**_Hello all; thanks for reading, and reviewing…_**

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**_Anniacuru: my beta, how you put up with this, I don't know. *sends Draco covered in acacia honey and kitten Draco with toy mouse*_**

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**_Icyfire2: yes, little kitten Draco is very cute. But he's Harry's little sex kitten… oh well. Thanks for reviewing. *sends kitten Draco with toy mouse*_**

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**_Luna aelf Writer: Harry was cute, true. Sorry this took so long! *sends Harry over with chocolate sprinkles*_**

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**_Malfoy+Harry_****_: you're on. Just a question, are you Laurda or Laura?      *sends Draco on broomstick*_**

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**_Eadon_****_: glad you like my sex scenes; they are hard to write as I don't really know enough about the male body to make it specific. I'll write more soon, perhaps in a few chaps, maybe… I try to keep chapters at least 4 a4 pages. Yes, Draco kitten is very cute. I'm glad you like the 'wit' of my story! *sends kitten Draco with actual Draco to play*_**

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**_Silver wolf: you're in. Jemima Moonhigh. Glad you like the story. *sends Harry and kitten Draco to play*_**

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**_Foreverpotter_****_: glad you like the story! *sends honey covered Draco*_**

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**_Luna_kat04: yes, kitten Draco is adorable!!! I might not mention other goo forms, but you will find out about the final animagi forms. *sends honey covered Draco*_**

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**_Sammi_****_: you're in, sammi medlin. Are you referring to Dumbledore and Minerva? Yay. *munches on Draco candy while feeding Reebok with Harry shaped ones.* THANK YOU!!! Your kitten is so cute!!!! *sends my kitten Masquerade and Draco kitten to you with toy mice and chocolate Dracos*_**

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**_J.L.Collett_****_: I'm sure he's over it now. Draco doesn't get scared easily. Glad you liked the chapter! *sends happy Draco with chocolate to you*_**

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**_To everyone else, ENJOY!_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An/poetry/prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ Scene/POV change

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**_Chapter 16:_**

"Draco…" Harry whined, "Please can we keep it?"

"No. I'm going to drown the little pest before it tells McGonagall anything which I want private"

But he's so… he's you!" Harry sulked on full blast. He looked at the little cat snuggled in his arms. 

"So? Even more reason to stop him talking!"

"He… Draco… I don't think that he is a he…" said Harry suddenly confused, looking at the affectionate cat.

"Of course he is a he! He's me, isn't he?" snapped Draco.

"How do you check?"

"Using a gender tracking charm, obviously!" replied Draco, annoyed at the apparent stupidity of the Saviour of the Wizarding world. He pointed his wand at the cat and muttered a charm under his breath. _Why does Draco learn such random spells? A grey mist flew out of his wand and surrounded the cat. It floated up and formed a smoke ring. Draco was about to comment on it when a cross appeared at the bottom of it. Harry burst into a fit of giggles; __Draco's mind is a little cute sex kitten!!!!! Draco swore and pointed his wand to Harry. The cross disappeared, and an arrow shot through the circle to the top right corner. _

"You doubted me?" asked Harry.

"With that noise you're making, I had every right to!" 

"Can we keep her?"

"N…"

"Please?"

"Fine!" **Harry can be as stubborn as a bloody rock! He never gives up! **"But you're taking care of him!"

Harry's eyes sparkled and he grinned idiotically. "Thanks." He leaned in and kissed Draco, "I'll call her Cai."

"What kind of name is that?" asked Draco annoyed.

"A cute one, I like it. Shush, you'll wake up Cai!" replied Harry in a mock baby voice.

"Shove off, bloody Gryffindor!" Draco muttered affectionately. 

~~~

Harry bounded up the Gryffindor tower ecstatically with the cat snuggled in his robes. He went carefully through the common room willing people to stay away. As he reached Hecate however, Seamus came out of the picture opposite her. "Hey Harry, what have you been up to?" asked the fair haired Irish boy.

"Nothing much" replied Harry hastily, wanting to get into his room before mini-Draco woke up.

But the other boy wasn't stupid; and unless Harry had miraculously become a girl, he was hiding something in his cloak. Ever the tactful one, he walked closer to Harry and asked, "Wat'cha hiding?" Harry squirmed, but knowing Seamus, he'd have to tell him to shut him up. He pushed him into his room annoyed at the smirking goddess' picture. She was very excited about what was happening at Circe's. She grilled Harry constantly when he was in his room, but he stayed resolutely silent. Harry came in and shut the door. He took off his cloak and displayed the kitten hidden in his jumper. Seamus looked at it critically, "This is the secret our Boy Wonder here was willing to risk his reputation for?" Harry blushed but stayed silent. "Whose is it anyway?" the Irish boy asked.

"She's mine, all mine…" said Harry, not particularly thinking about the cat.

"Where d'you get it? Was it from your girlfriend?"

"No Seamus," _I have to come clean sooner or later…_ "I don't have a girlfriend."

"You've been snogging someone quite a lot lately, are you telling me you aren't friends?"

"No, we're friends, actually we're not, but it isn't like that," Harry's voice fell to a whisper, "It's not a girl."

Seamus took it surprisingly well; he sat down on the bed, absentmindedly stroking the cat which was asleep there. A smile appeared on his face, "That's great mate, who's the lucky guy?"

"I'm not sure I can confess it yet, I may wake up!" replied Harry, relieved. 

The Irish boy laughed, "Ah go on, you can tell me…"

"Can I?" 

"Sure, and I'm better than Ron, because I won't explode and attack him!"

"True," Harry inwardly laughed at Seamus' prediction; he was worried that Seamus would do the same. 

Seamus was unrelenting though, "Go on, give me a clue at least!"

"Um… he's athletic, plays Quidditch…"

"Ok, team players… got it."

"He's well built…"

"Most are, being sporty and all that, but go on." Seamus was compiling a list of all the houses team players and systematically crossing them off. He already had the girls off, the list was quite small. _Bloody hell! He's thorough! _

"I don't know what else to say!"

"Wait," asked Seamus, looking at his list, "he must have been rich and stupid enough to buy you a broom that good!" he crossed off most of the Ravenclaws and half of the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. The Slytherin team stayed solid however. 

"He's not stupid!" butted in Harry, "It's just not fun without competition!"

"Aha! It's a seeker!!!" shouted Seamus; he was just a step away from shouting "Eureka!" when he saw the two names left; Ravenclaw's Alex Whitcroft and Slytherin's Draco Malfoy. He looked at Alex; whose delectable body was lusted after by guys and girls alike. Alex was the Ravenclaw that Draco had on his (and so everyone with taste's) top three guys list, along with Harry and himself. Unknown to Harry however, Draco had been there, and done that, but didn't regret the parting. 

At last Seamus seemed happy, putting a ring around Alex's name. He was awed that Harry could have such a catch, but considering the prodigious underground gay / bi community's top three males list, it was inevitable that two of the three would end up together. But something didn't fit; and Seamus wanted to be sure. "Harry," he asked, "what broom does Whitcroft have on the pitch?"

Harry answered automatically, "a nimbus 5000," but then he gasped in horror as the relevance of the question hit him. Seamus was amazed, if a little annoyed at his two favourite males were taken off the market.  "Not him, not Dra-, Malfoy!"

"Then why would Whitcroft buy you a better broom then he has himself? If I remember correctly, Slytherin's finest owns a Stratostar." Seamus smirked at Harry's face, which was rapidly becoming a tomato. _ I am going to have to learn how to stop blushing. Draco can, why can't I? Or does he just not get embarrassed? _

"Don't tell anyone, yet."

"Secret's safe with me, mate." 

"Thanks."

"So, why d'he give you a cat?"

"It's him, the goo changed into that, and it's a girl!"

"Aw, who'd have thought? Draco's thoughts are the same kind as a female kitten! And he gave it to you to remind you of him! Aw; how sweet."

"No, I grabbed it off him before he killed it."

"He wouldn't have killed it; it is a representation of himself. I think there is a law of magic about killing your own image, it's linked to infanticide, it's impossible."

"Oh," Harry breathed a sigh of relief.

Seamus was gazing wistfully at him, "Cheer up you! The sexiest Slytherin, king of the broody dark ones, is yours! This is a time to rejoice! Think of what you could do with him!" his words had an effect on Harry; whose eyes became glazed and had a smile playing on his lips. "What will it be like playing against him? 

"I don't know." said Harry thoughtfully, before breaking out into a stream of swearing. "I'm going to find out in fifteen minutes!"  


	17. 17: Quidditch, sore losers and cameras

**_Hi, sorry for the delay, I just couldn't write this chapter! But here it is; I hope you enjoy it! On another note, 115 reviews!!!! I didn't think I'd ever get to 100! Thank you so much! Everyone who reviewed!!! *sends extra character of your choice plus what I give you below*_**

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**_Anniacuru: my wonderful beta. Thank you. *sends Cai over with cat treats*_**

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**_Obviations: thanks for trying to catch up the chapters, and reviewing them all! No worries, as far as I know, Voldemort won't rear his damn ugly head for a while, I think… *sends _****_Harry_****_ straight from quidditch game*_**

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**_Morbid Mind: *puts on gloves and attempts to fend off kitten hyper from cake.* thanks for the reviews! *sends Cai over to play with sooty*_**

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**_Sammi: I like your rambling! Glad you like it. *sends Cai over with toy mouse*_**

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**_Lady-Willowish: a new reviewer!!! Glad you love my story, thanks for reviewing! Cutcified? *sends your choice of _****_Harry_****_ or _****_Draco_****_ to you, honey covered of course!*_**

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**_Fallen _****_Angel_****_ 664: a new reviewer!!! Glad you liked the kitten thing, _****_Draco_****_ is so cute!! Anyway, thanks for reviewing! *sends your choice of _****_Harry_****_ or _****_Draco_****_ to you, honey covered of course!*_**

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**_KEY_**

**_An, poetry, prophesy_**

**Draco**** thought**

_Harry__ thought_

Stressed speech

Normal

~~~ scene or POV change

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**_Chapter 17:_**

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"I forgot about the bloody first game of the season!" He grabbed Silverflight and flew out the window to the quidditch pitch, to have to fly back to change. Cai looked at him reproachfully, as did Seamus. "Fine!" he shouted breathlessly, he picked her up and placed her in a basket he had conjured on the windowsill so that she could see the game. Cai began to purr and lick his hand. _I'll take that as you wish me luck._ He flew to the quidditch pitch a second time, but this time carrying Seamus on the back of the broom. He deposited Seamus at the stands and flew to Ron. 

"Where've you been?" asked Ron exasperated.

"Changing" answered Harry breathlessly.

"Bloody hell, worse than a girl you are! I'll call for a delay." Harry thanked Ron and plomped himself on the grass. Ron returned from Hooch, "Ok team, intro time. This is so we know what to look for in taking care of the other players. I'm Ron, I'm keeper and my weaknesses include shots from above, so you beaters can help me there."

A wiry girl with long copper hair spoke up, "I'm Vicky, I'm a chaser, and my weak points are cheats and bludgers."

"We're up against both today." said the tall boy with brown eyes and black hair Harry knew from his class. Harry was very happy that it wasn't just Ron and him from the seventh on the team. The rest of the team laughed at the grim observation. "I'm Dean, I'm a beater, weak points include curses thrown at me during the game, and direct penalties. 

"Call me Taz," an olive-skinned girl stepped into the middle, "beater. Weaknesses; I loose concentration in boring games."

"We'll do our best to entertain you, then." said the last two girls. One was fair, the other dark, yet they were unmistakeably related. "My name's Leslie, and this is Aileen, we're both chasers. Aileen never talks, I never stop. You could call those weak points."

They all looked at Harry expectantly, "Err, I'm Harry, I'm the seeker. My weak points include blinding headaches and evil dark lords." He saw the younger ones' faces, "It was a joke, sorry. I don't know of any weaknesses, except distraction, but I usually get through that, if I'm not injured." His team-mates looked at him dubiously, but they let it go. Ron began to talk tactics. 

~~~

Across the pitch, it was another matter entirely. Draco was captain and was running the team like a garrison before warfare. "Those Griffins are good, but they're stupid. Play dirty if we need to, but don't play in the mud unnecessarily. Stand in line!" the team stood straight backed and blank faced. Draco continued, "Good. Now, Zabini, Moonhigh, direct those bludgers towards the Weasel while we have the Quaffle. He'll have to duck those and we will have a clear goal. Milson, Medlin, Foxtrot, did you hear that? Only go after goal if it's free or you're over the Weasel. A little birdie told me that he isn't terrific at saving from that angle." Blaise tittered at Draco's analogy; he had simply used a listening charm on the Gryffindor huddle. Draco glared at him and he shut up. "York? Can you handle the goal?" the Slytherin nodded. "Good. Everyone, do your best." **It's up to me anyway. **The green team walked to Hooch and the scarlet team, adrenaline surging, ready for a momentous game to start the season.

~~~

The stalls were filling up rapidly. The two houses enmity often made brilliant matches to watch. The two teams faced each other on the pitch. Above them, the commentator was getting ready. After Lee Jordan left, Slytherins petitioned for one from their own house. Dumbledore agreed and they appointed Lynne Hart. 

"And welcome to a new year of Quidditch, beginning with old rivals Gryffindor and Slytherin! Let's introduce the teams; Gryffindor: keeper and captain: Ron Weasley, chasers: Victoria Kelly, Leslie and Aileen Irwin, beaters: Dean Thomas and Clara Topaz, and Seeker… Harry Potter." The burgundy stand erupted in cheers as the Gryffindor team made a lap of the pitch. The Slytherin stands looked at Harry's broom, awed at the distinctive silver shaft. _Bloody Hell, It's just a broom!_ Harry thought, but knowing that that wasn't the case. Lynne continued, "and the Slytherin team; keeper: Leticia York, chasers: Silver Foxtrot, Laura Milson, Sammi Medlin, beaters: Jemima Moonhigh and Blaise Zabini. The seeker and captain of the Slytherins is… Draco Malfoy! Good luck!"  

Muttering broke out in the Gryffindor stands; the most prominent word being, 'Biased!' Lynne heard, "two words to the red supporters, Pot and Kettle." At this Snape smirked at McGonagall's annoyed grimace, but she pursed her lips, not rising to the bait; she had better plans against him, involving a certain feline revelation…

Lynne carried on, "But on with the game."  Madame Hooch blew the whistle and the fourteen players kicked off and the balls were freed. Draco and Harry rose above the other players managing to keep eye contact the entire time. It was broken however when Clara sent a bludger hurtling towards Draco. Harry's eyes widened enough for Draco to realise that something was wrong. He saw the black ball and managed to swerve out of the way. "Topaz tries to kill our, I mean Slytherin's seeker!" Clara saluted to Harry and flew back towards the action of the Quaffle. "Slytherin has the Quaffle! Flown superbly there by Silver Foxtrot, very elegantly too! Damn. Kelly has taken the Quaffle and is flying towards the goals. She throws, she… misses!!!  Wait, Leslie has caught the rebound from the ball hitting the ring, and she scores. It's ten – nil to Gryffindor." A groan erupted from the Slytherin stands and rippled through the seats like a Mexican wave. The Gryffindors opted for jeers in their direction instead of the customary cheers. 

Up in the air, Draco and Harry were scanning the pitch hoping for a glimpse of the snitch. It didn't show itself, however. Harry was watching the Slytherin chasers form a formidable triangle with Sammi Medlin clutching the Quaffle at the head. The beaters were flying below them. Draco smirked; his plan was going into action. Ron looked at them confusedly, but didn't have much time to think as Jemima Moonhigh sent a bludger hurtling towards his head. He ducked and immediately, Sammi scored. 

Lynne's voice rang out, "Medlin has scored! 10 all! Brilliant teamwork shown here with the whole team participating in the drive! Well done!" as much as Harry detested the favouritism, he had to agree, they flew well. He flew over to console Ron, who snapped at him to continue looking for the snitch so that they could beat 'those bloody evil scheming gits' the Slytherins. Harry obeyed his captain.

The Gryffindor beaters Dean Thomas and Clara Topaz were having no fun whatsoever. Dean soon found out that Clara had quite a volatile temper, and spent most of his energy stopping her from attacking the Slytherin players directly with her bat. This took them out of the chasers' way most of the time. 

Also, the sister chasers were squabbling; which was quite a feat to maintain if you did not speak. But they seemed to have an almost telepathic bond, and knew what the other one was going to think, or reply. Vicky was trying to get between the warring siblings while trying to intercept the passes above her head from the bored Slytherin chasers Silver Foxtrot and Laura Milson. Once their formation had got the score up to 70-10, they had become bored, and stopped torturing Ron, who by now was willing to get hit by the bludgers rather than let another in. Therefore, Leticia the Slytherin goal-keeper had flown over to Ron to taunt him instead.

To put it simply, the game had gone to the dogs. The anguished Gryffindor stand implored Harry to catch the elusive gold ball and McGonagall had to grit her teeth and imagine Snape's greasy face when she told him what the kitten told her. 

~~~

It was all up to Harry and Draco to stop the prolonged torment the game was having on the spectators. They were anxious for a climatic finish. Lynne had gone to describing the different ways the houses took the game, and was now almost always the subject of the subtle muttering of the Gryffindors, which if she noticed, she would publicise to the ecstatic Slytherins.

Harry made a lap of the field, looking earnestly for the snitch. Draco had gone the other way and was skimming the grass at the bottom of the pitch.

**Harry always waits for it to fly in front of his face, **thought Draco. **He wins when he sees it. But he never actually looks for it. Now, where do we end up flying? I always end up bruised, what do I hit? I hit the wooden supports of the spectator stands! **

With this revelation, Draco went to the Ravenclaw stand and flew under the blue canvasses covering the supports. It wasn't there. **One down…** He flew to the Hufflepuff stand, unnoticed by Harry. It wasn't there. **Two down… **He went to the familiar green stand trying to stay inconspicuous to the commentator, but Lynne was too busy yelling at the chasers to actually play. Draco didn't see it there. **And of course it has to be in the last place I choose to look!** But as Draco left his house stands, a whoosh of air passed his left ear travelling upwards. **What the..?  he looked up and saw the misty trail the speeding snitch had left in its wake. He flew up quickly, trying very hard to avoid bumping into the wooden supports. Evidently, the snitch had worn itself out with boredom due to not being noticed. It slowed, and Draco easily caught it in his outstretched hand. **Ha! **He looked at the ball fluttering in his palm in vain and laughed; for once, he had won, he had beaten Potter! **

Draco flew out of the stand and flew to the green clad spectators. Hovering in front of Lynne, he displayed the prize for all to see. Lynne was in mid sentence, "not a very nice thing to say, Franklin. You should Draco! Slytherin has finally beaten Gryffindor! 220 to 10!!! Malfoy has caught the snitch and I didn't even notice. Hell, Potter didn't even notice!!! He is still flying around his pathetic team, looking for it! Ha! Well take that, you bunch of sanctimonious ba…" 

"That is quite enough, miss Hart!" McGonagall almost yelled, summoning the megaphone to the teachers' stand. "Ten points from Slytherin for foul language, or the attempted use of it!" Snape had riled her up enough for her to almost expose the news now, but luckily for Harry and Draco, she had more sense.

The students filed out of the stands chattering loudly. Ron flew out of goal and commenced yelling at the warring sisters and Taz. He even went as far as throwing the chasers off the team. Harry and Dean tried to console him until he turned on them too, "Don't say a bloody thing! That was the WORST thing I have EVER seen! And Harry… Where were you when the bloody ferret caught that thing? Aren't you supposed to MARK him? Well? Leave me alone, I'm going to pin up a sign for chaser tryouts." With that, he flew off, still muttering loudly about cursing Malfoy off the face of the Earth. Dean shrugged his shoulders, and flew off to intercept Taz. On the ground, Seamus was trying to calm Ron down. _You'd think that after 7 years, he would know that it is best to just leave him to calm down?_

Harry scanned the crowd of cheering students in green robes looking for Draco. He saw the platinum blonde hair standing out from the other black and brown. He descended and walked to him trying to ignore the taunts of the Slytherins. "Malfoy, I'd just like to say, that, well, good game up there."

Draco turned from his admirers and faced the humiliated Gryffindor. **Noble lot, you griffins are; congratulating me…** "Thank you for the compliment, but if you're here to worship me, get in line." He replied. The crowd laughed, and Harry's face began to match his robes. "But," Draco continued, "that wasn't a good game, it wasn't a game at all." He paused at the confused objecting noises coming from the crowd. "Your team" he sneered, "was non existent. Next time you fly against us, make sure you're not the only marginally decent flyer there. You're dismissed; go stop your Weasel from killing himself. You would think that he would be used to failure and disappointment by now, all the practice he has got…" Draco turned from Harry and Harry stormed off. _Ok, next time, forget the politeness._

Draco watched him leave in the corner of his eye. Harry had forsaken the doors entirely and flew directly to his room in the north tower. After his entrance through the window, he collapsed unceremoniously onto the bed. Sensing his anger and disappointment, Cai snuggled up to him. Harry smiled, stroking her soft back. _How can I be angry with a cat like you?_ It was like this, that the boy who lost spectacularly to his 'worst enemies' at a game which he was supposed to be a master of, fell asleep, thinking fondly about the human form of the purring kitten.

~~~

"Well that was a magnificent beginning to the Quidditch year, a pattern I hope of which will continue. Don't you think so Minerva?" Snape was gloating. He had a good reason though; Slytherin hadn't beaten Gryffindor in many years. 

"I suppose, Severus, but I doubt that it will continue like that," replied McGonagall, getting ready to relish the moment. She had even set a trap for the ostentatious Potions master…

"Oh and why do you think that? I think that a lead of 210 points is a good thing to keep up. The team is relishing the lead; I don't think they will give it up any time soon."

"But how do people successfully fight each other when their animosity has evaporated?" asked McGonagall.

"Whatever do you mean? I am happy to say that our houses remain rivals."

"But our seekers?"

"Malfoy and Potter? Their petty battles are still ongoing."

"Yes, but the setting has changed."

"To where?" asked a confused Snape.

"The bedroom." McGonagall almost laughed when she saw his bewildered face. 

"What on Earth do you mean?" Snape spluttered.

"Why, that they have become lovers!"

Severus choked for a moment at these words, until he composed himself, repeating in his head the mantra, 'she is lying, and this is absurd.' "On what authority do you know this?"

"Draco himself told me; or at least, his inner thought manifestation." This time, she couldn't hold back her laughter at the face of her esteemed colleague. He looked like he would almost throw up, and marched off towards the dungeons, probably to have a very stiff drink. McGonagall turned also, a grin gracing her features. She opened a door to the only classroom in the corridor she was in and let the crimson clad student out. "Did you get that?" she asked him, for once letting a childish excitement get to her. 

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," he said, shocked from the conversation he had heard. He handed her the camera in his hands.

Professor McGonagall waltzed off humming a cheerful tune, "Good job, Creevey, 10 points to Gryffindor."


	18. 18: Fear, fun and disgust

**_A lot of plot in this chapter, furthering of the animagi project, hope you enjoy, and please review!!!! _**

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**_Anniacuru: my wonderful beta; still putting up with me!!! Thanks. *sends an acacia honey covered Draco*_**

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**_Obviations: thank you for reviewing all of my chapters! Wow!!! Glad you love it! *sends a honey covered Snape*_**

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**_Fallenangel664: you'll love Snape in This chapter then! We all pity Ron, even though he is really funny like that… *sends Draco with vanilla ice-cream (to cool him down!)*_**

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**_Whoeveriwant_****_: thanks for the review! I think Draco would kill Harry if he brought Cai to lessons though, and so would Snape! But, I'll see what I can do… Yes, Draco won!!! Yay. I think it bothered Ron more than Harry though. I got the name 'Cai' from a very good friend of mine. It is a shortened version of her name. You're not dense, and no one has asked me that before. Glad you loved the story!!! Hope you like this chapter! *sends a honey covered Draco or Harry (tell me your choice in your next review)* ps, cool name!_**

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**_Sara Beara: glad you like it! Hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends a honey covered Draco or Harry*_**

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**_Usernotavailable_****_: ok, here it is! Hope you like it. 'please' sometimes makes faster updates though! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry (tell me in your next review)*_**

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**_Sammi: aww, no worries, Snape won't cause an argument between them; they can do that on their own. Your wittle heart is safe for now. McGonagall will definitely Not become lovers with Snape *shudders*. Colin was taking a photo of Snape's reaction, the look on his face. hope you like this chapter! *sends Draco with chocolate chip cookies*_**

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**_To everyone else, enjoy!!!_**

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**_Key (you probably know it by know anyway)_**

**_An, poetry, prophesy, letter._**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = Scene / POV change

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**_Chapter 18_**

The class of Gryffindors and Slytherins looked at their teacher with thinly veiled amusement. Today, Professor Tonks had her hair a deep purple, and it stood on end as if she had been electrocuted. In fact, moments earlier, something quite similar to that had happened; Peeves had set a trap for her as she had ushered her class into the room they were in now. He had swooped in with a firecracker, only a wizard kind, shouting, "Dada's teachers gaga! Dada's teachers gaga!" she had been amused up to the point he threw the pulsating ball of light straight at her. Tonks' orange hair set alight, but she stopped it by simply changing it to the frizzy afro-style it was now. She sent Peeves through the floor with a well aimed banishing charm towards the dungeons, and the class were gratified with hearing Snape's yells as Peeves reduced his classroom to chaos. 

"Ok class," she said in her familiar jovial tone, "today we are going to do some practical work connected to your Transfiguration project. This will be the last clue you get before the real thing, so cheer up you lot!" her zeal on the last point had got the Gryffindors laughing. The Slytherins looked at them haughtily with disgust plain in their eyes. "Once again however, you will have to do this in pairs, because you would confuse the experiment otherwise." The class looked downcast; they wouldn't be able to see their friends' results first hand. But, anticipation got the better of them, and they let themselves be ushered out of the room to re-enter with their allotted partners.

Harry talked about inconsequential things with Ron and Hermione until it was his turn. He didn't know what to expect because the pairs who had left did not return to the room that the class was waiting in. This was to ensure that no one would be prepared for the ominous sounding 'experiment'. He and Draco walked into the room in silence. They were greeted with a large wardrobe. **And just what exactly are we supposed to do in a closet?** Draco thought. One possible answer came into both their heads and Harry blushed. 

"Ladies first…" Draco snickered. 

"Oh please." Harry rolled his eyes and walked towards the cupboard, wand poised. He opened the old wooden door and stepped back in surprise. A mist poured out onto the floor like water. Harry couldn't for the life of him discern the colour. _This is silly; what colour is it? Grey? Black? Red? _It began to take shape. 

"It's a Bogart, Potter," said Draco helpfully, before brandishing his own wand.

"I know what it is!" snapped Harry, "but I don't know how this helps find our animagi form."

"Isn't it simple?" asked Draco condescendingly, "your fear makes you what you are. We have to see the form it takes for you, and then we interpret what it means." 

From behind a curtain, Tonks' muffled voice called out, "Correct! 10 points to Slytherin!"

Draco smirked, but Harry was too caught up in the form slowly manifesting in front of him. It was a man, Harry was sure. Its transformation completed quickly, and Harry was standing face to face with… himself. Only, he was old, so old… He looked ancient and was leaning on a walking stick. In his other hand, he held Harry's broken wand. A deep sadness was etched on his face; these eyes had seen many battles. Harry was horrified; _what does this mean? Old age? Broken wand? I don't… he fretted in his head silently, but his anguish was portrayed on his face._

Draco but a hand on his shoulder, "let it go," he said, quiet enough for only Harry to hear, "we'll talk about it later." He led Harry away to the wall and stepped in front of the Bogart. It registered the change in person, and began to morph. The man grew taller, paler, and the eyes grew colder. The wand extended into an elegant silver cane. Draco faced his father… 

"You bring shame to the name you carry so carelessly!" the Bogart whispered with enough malice to make it echo like a scream. "Pathetic, found wanting in the eyes of our Lord and Master." He advanced towards a shocked Draco, but Harry raced in front of him and shouted the curse against Bogarts. Lucius changed in a flash; he now had frizzy brown hair and the teeth of a beaver. Draco watched this change in horror, and then collapsed in laughter. To see his father, his mighty muggle-hating father, with the features of the 'mud blood' he so derided… it was too much to keep a straight face. 

Having accomplished his task of unfreezing Draco, Harry led him out to the allocated classroom where the others were waiting. He was about to ignore the façade of their hatred and accompany Draco to his seat when Draco collected himself. "Thanks, Harry." He walked over to Blaise and Theodore with neither a lingering gaze nor any recognition whatsoever of Harry. _How does he do that?_

Ron bounded up to Harry from his seat in the corner. "How d'it go with the ferret? What's he afraid of?" Harry shook his head; he wasn't going to tell anyone what happened in the room. 

But his efforts were like a fish out of water, and he was only saved by Hermione coming over sensing his discomfort. "Grow up Ron, taunting people you don't like will not help the matter." She said brusquely. Harry flashed a grin but she flashed a look back telling him that she wanted to know, and she would. Harry didn't doubt her interrogation skills, having been subjected to them so many times. But somehow, he wasn't worried at her reaction; trusting her sensibility. "Was yours still a spider?" she asked Ron. 

"Yup." Ron grinned, "Can't get over those things, and I blame you entirely Mr. Potter!" he added jokingly. 

"Hmph." Harry said, before turning to Hermione, "you never did tell us what your Bogart changed into in third year… what is it now?"

Immediately, Hermione's smile faded, and Harry had the overwhelming feeling that he shouldn't have mentioned that. But Ron, oblivious as always, pushed the matter.

"Go on 'Mione; please tell us!"

She went pink, and glared and Harry, "in the third year, it was McGonagall, saying that I wasn't good enough for Hogwarts, and that I was to be sent back to my parents and my mind wiped." Harry stepped in, to try and comfort her, but her glare put him off, "today, it was Fudge. The slimy b… he… was smirking at me, holding the deeds of Hogwarts, threatening to tear it down and make it a holiday resort."

"Mione, I had no idea, I'm…" Ron broke off, genuinely shocked. Harry held his head downcast. He was so sorry about making Hermione tell them about her innermost fear. He tried to convey it to her with his eyes, but she just continued to glare. _Sorry Hermione…_ the bell went, and they left for lunch.

~~~

It was a normal lunchtime for the golden trio; Ron was thrashing Seamus at chess, Hermione was studying and Harry was being dragged through the dungeon corridors towards the portrait of Circe by an impatient Draco. "Hurry up Potter!!!" he said slightly out of breath. Harry followed him panting.

They careened through the portrait and she smiled, "usual, Mr. Malfoy?" he nodded and she shut, smirking. 

~~~

"Let me through!!!" yelled the irate potions master. He had been outside Draco's secret room for over half an hour. His rage was attracting attention, but pupils who knew what was good for them stayed away; Snape was throwing out detentions for so much as looking at him. Circe stuck her tongue out at him and smirked. He tried a different tact. "Please let me through."

"I cannot do that Professor." Circe replied.

"I said the bloody password; what more do you want?"

"Nothing," she laughed at his face, "you can't make me open this door; I have direct orders to deny entry to everyone, especially you!"

"I'll burn your portrait if you don't let me through!"

"Only Dumbledore is allowed to 'retire' portraits. Sorry Professor you're not allowed in."

 When Snape fumed, he did it whole heartedly. He stomped and raged and muttered obscenities. He paced the corridor angrily for about ten minutes. Snape was there to ask Draco just what exactly McGonagall had been talking about. But Circe was being as stubborn and impudent as ever and wouldn't let him in. 

He took out his wand with a flourish, waving it threateningly at her. She sighed and clapped her hands. Snape's robes fell to the ground as did his wand. Snape shrunk and began to sprout feathers. He was becoming a raven, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The newly transformed professor cawed menacingly to Circe who just laughed. Draco, having finished with Harry, left him to recover on the floor and opened his door to see what she was so happy about. He looked at the raven and tried to look back to her disparagingly, but burst into laughter himself at the expression on the disgruntled bird's face. "Circe, who have you just turned into that?"

"Your teacher," she replied coyly, "he was very rude!" 

Draco looked at the Snape raven and laughed. Laughter erupted from the air behind Draco as well. "Turn him back, please," asked Draco, putting on his infamous charm. She fell for it hook, line and sinker. She giggled, but conceded. Draco went back into his room.

Snape was returned to his human form, a very angry form it was too. "Malfoy!" he yelled, "detention for not taming your door!"

Just as Snape made to leave, he heard something; but he could not see anyone. 'Please let Minerva be wrong, please…' begged Snape silently in his head. He walked arms out stretched towards the portrait. His left hand caught on something in the narrow corridor. He grabbed onto it and pulled the soft material he felt. It came quite easily. Snape was now holding an invisibility cloak, and standing in front of him was Harry Potter dying of embarrassment.

Snape almost threw up. He envisioned McGonagall's smirking face in front of him. "Potter!" he yelled, "50 points off Gryffindor for your state of… dishabille!" he threw the cloak at him and Harry ran off towards the stairwell. Snape leant on a wall, trying to scourge the images from his mind. It was in vain however, and he retreated to his office to have more than one glass of his 'modified' fire-whiskey.


	19. 19: stairs, books and a map

**_With 12 reviews for the last chapter, I guess it was a good idea to edit my summary slightly! I'm so happy that everyone who has found this loved it enough to review! But anyway, on to the thank you s!_**

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**_Anniacuru: my wonderful beta. *sends the Hermione from the cover of my diary*_**

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**_Usernotavailable_****_: Yay. Thanks for reviewing! *sends chocolate covered Harry*_**

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**_FerretMalfoy_****_: glad you love it so much, I know, it's awful when you miss all the author treats, I do it all the time! I don't actually know what Betty Crocker sprinkles are, but as you asked so nicely, and didn't ask for one of the main ones, *sends Snape and Blaise covered in BC sprinkles*_**

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**_FallenAngel664: yes, we have to pity Snape, but then again, he will deal in his own way… *watches Gryffindor points rapidly decline…* *sends Draco covered in chocolate hundreds and thousands*_**

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**_Taz_****_: Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!! Draco has to thank his friendship with Snape for his extra room. I know it's not fair. Oh well, thanks for the review! *sends 7 singing chocolate frogs*_**

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**_Spidermonkey_****_-Demon: thanks for reviewing!!! Glad you like it! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_Kimmy15: glad you like it! I have the animagi forms sorted out already, I just need to get there in the fic… *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_saiFong_****_: need? Ok then, here's your next fix, hope you enjoy it *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_Kairi099: glad you like Snape, I love torturing him! It's fun. Thanks for reviewing! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_Demon-Rose: glad you love it! Thanks for the review! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_Dragon-Soul: Thanks! Glad you like it enough to put on your faves! I hope you like this chapter! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you covered in honey* (tell me who you prefer in your next review)_**

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**_Sammi: Harry isn't afraid of age; but what he is afraid of is explained in this chapter. The beaver teeth and frizzy hair was Draco's impression of Hermione, and she is what his father would call a mudblood. Dishabille, the dictionary version is: the state of being carelessly or partially dressed. He and Draco had just had… so his clothes weren't exactly carefully put on! No worries about the mood, or the cynicism, which you weren't displaying. Don't worry about the questions, if you ever have any, just ask me in your review. I'll sort it out in my reply. *sends Draco with vanilla ice cream to cheer you up*_**

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**_Whoeveriwant_****_: Yay! *glomps back* Snape doesn't get drunk, he just tries to forget. I thought long and hard over the Bogart, I didn't want it to be too predictable... glad I wasn't! vanilla or chocolate debate is easy, I choose both and have a bar of Green and Black's white chocolate, which has vanilla pod in it. They are gorgeous,as are the boys! I agree with your choice though… I do like your name, mine was the same as my fictionpress one, but once I had written, I think it was chapter 11, I described Draco as the 'usually immaculate aristocrat' and I looked at it and laughed. Laughing at your own work should never happen unless it is really worth it, and so I decided to call myself that. Snape looks a bit like a raven, and a flamingo? I'll leave those thoughts to you… *hugs cuddly pleases* here's the update. I don't think anyone will find out what Cai said, but if you ask nicely enough, who knows!! Curiosity Did kill the cat; knowledge made him fat!!! Thanks for the review, I had better stop now before everyone else kills me for the excess of scrolling down! *sends an acacia honey covered Draco*  _**

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**_To everyone else, Enjoy!_**

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**_Key_**

**_AN / prophesy / poetry_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Stressed speech

Normal

~~~ = scene / POV change

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**_Chapter 19_**

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**I wonder why Harry was afraid of ageing, **thought Draco, as he trudged up the South wing staircases looking for some old history of magic classroom.

**It's not as if he will ever get the chance of getting old; no, he'll die stupidly yet nobly in a stupid inconsequential battle... Unless, age was a metaphor for something else…** Draco's mind was used to riddles and enigmas; he was tested as a child for fun. **What else did the old Harry have? His wand was broken… **Draco also prized himself for having a photo-perfect memory of things around him. **Wand… old… he wasn't doing magic, he was alone, he was… helpless.  **As soon as he had said the word, Draco knew he had hit upon the right thing. His instinct told him so. A creaky step roused him from his musings though, and Draco resolved to think more about the weakness of weakness in the Boy-Who-Lived.

After Snape had sobered up from his multiple drinks to clear his mind, he had made Draco's detention alone, clearing the room, without magic. **First, I need to find the bloody room however!**

Draco walked up a creaky old staircase. But as he reached the top, it shuddered, and moved; abandoning him in an old corridor which looked like it hadn't been visited in at least fifty years. **Where the hell am I? Thought Draco, as he scanned the corridor the stairs had deposited him on. He performed the point me charm. Draco was in the South tower. He looked at the stairwell and shrugged his shoulders. Lunch wasn't something he minded being late to. He had heard that Peeves was around here, terrorising the other ghosts. However, Draco had got into an argument with him earlier this week and was itching to show him a spell that he had learned which ghosts weren't immune to. No ghosts were there however. **

Draco went up to a portrait on the wall, (the only portrait on the wall). It was of a woman. She was standing in front of a seascape, with gulls and a crack in the cliff behind her. "Hello," Draco said cautiously, he knew that most portraits at this school were arrogant things, and didn't want to upset perhaps the only person who could help him get out of this mess.

The beautiful woman looked at her. She was wearing a dress adorned with chrysanthemums. She looked irritated, "leave me alone! Alone, the spell was an accident; I didn't mean to get rid of… Sorry little girl, your boyfriend can't be turned into a frog or whatever you think he deserves!!!"

After her rant, Draco approached her again indignant. "you think I'm a girl? Do I look like a girl? Of all the stupidest things…" he muttered, "I am not a girl!!! I only wanted directions for another staircase."

"If there was one, don't you think I would be talking with another portrait downstairs!" she yelled, "paintings can talk to each other, but we can only jump to the one less then two metres away from the one we're in! I'm alone here! All alone..."

Draco knew this was true, but this didn't stop them, as all portraits were connected to the circular room, and they could travel from there. Now, either the portrait was lying, or the portrait wasn't connected, which he highly doubted. Draco should have gone then, but curiosity was generally his downfall. "Sorry to have disturbed you. How long have you been here?" 

"Forever!!!" screeched the lady, "I was made to guard the library!!!" then she shut up, but it was too late, Draco had heard... his eyes brightened; any library worth protecting must have a spell section darker than the restricted section! With this thought, he ran along the corridor, ignoring the portrait's angry calls after her. 

Draco reached a large door made of rowan wood. It was open slightly. Draco stepped into the room, realising that this was the library. He looked at the shelves; it was a natural instinct to peruse the books ingrained in him since birth. However, the books on that shelf looked like history books, and he wasn't interested in the sleep-inducing goblin revolutions Binns taught them. Now, if they had taken his suggestion and brought in Real goblins and made them fight to simulate them...

Still, he looked along the shelves, completely forgetting about getting back to lunch or Harry. **I'm neither hungry nor horny. I can survive without them. **

The books looked old; tatty and dusty. Draco took out the oldest he could see and opened its first page. 

In an illuminated text was written:

**_"Ye who opene this text,_**

**_Will forgoe an anciente rite_**

**_You maye evene be hex'd_**

**_To forevere more lose youre sighte"_**

Draco was about to turn the page when he heard a sound behind him. Using the quick reflexes he had, Draco dropped the book and swivelled quickly, scanning the room for someone or something...

His silver eyes fell on a girl sitting on a flight of steps leading to more shelves. Draco assimilated her appearance expertly, **she's scared, quivering like a squirrel, and she is probably lost herself. So she will be no help. Robes in bad condition; all crinkly. She is worried. **

Draco approached her sneering, her appearance had given the impression that she wasn't particularly important in the scheme of things, and Draco rightly believed himself superior. 

"You, how long have you been here?" he called out to the girl.

The girl was a quivering wreak; "a week, I was sorted into Hufflepuff, been there since I came..." 

Draco groaned, "Here... the library!"

The girl looked around worriedly, "people use sticks to move things, and someone moved the stairs... I want my mum; she uses her hands to move things... do you?"

Draco looked at her disparagingly. He brandished his wand smirking, "you mean this?" the girl ran to another part of the library. "Oh well." Draco forgot her and continued to look at the book titles. **Lunch be damned, I'm gonna look at these books!**

He walked to a set of shelves made of some black wood, perhaps ebony. Looking at the spines, Draco noticed that hardly any had titles. **This looks promising,** Draco thought, **all of father's books at home have no titles, and they're all spells...** Draco lost himself for a while in his thoughts of home but shook them out of himself when he remembered the beating he had received from his father by opening one of the aforementioned books. He was 2 at the time; it wasn't as if he could even read!

Draco used the lower shelves to climb up to the previously unreachable. He looked at the books on the top shelf. None seemed interesting. He was about to climb down when one on the third shelf up (he was looking at the fifth) caught his notice. It was wrapped in a sheet of leather. He climbed down and unwrapped it. 

Inside was a book with a black cover. It was pristine, probably because of the old leather protecting it. He opened it. Inside the cover was a single word: "legacy".  Interest already hooked, he read the first page: 

"purebloods are not as they seem; in England, those boasting a history of over 40 generations are all liars. Inbreeding is the cause of this. Using this book's knowledge however, you can edit your magical DNA to create new genes and stop this problem."

A piece of parchment wafted out of the middle of the book. It was yellowed, yet the writing was still crystal clear. It was in a neat yet elegant script, with the potions instructions the book gave. However, in the margins, were additions, changing the spell. At the bottom was a summary in the same hand. "with these changes, this potion can rob someone of their magic, leaving even the most prodigious of purebloods worse than a mere mud blood; but muggle vermin itself." it was signed, but Draco could only make out the first letter to be an 'M'.

'This is amazing!' Draco thought; editing spells this complicated to practically reverse the true meaning... and what a meaning! This shelf was evil, and Draco had every intention of returning here; **imagine what you could learn! He thought gleefully. He replaced the book after reading the list of names who had taken the book out when this library was open to the pupils. 'Tom Riddle' came up over 15 times, but he seemed to be the last. Before that, Malfoy seemed the most popular surname. Draco wondered about the parchment, guessing (correctly) who had made it. **Well, what do you know; one of my relatives was a genius!****

He looked at the leather with more detail; it was a faded map of the school. On each room detailed, the leather had a slight bump, like Braille. He fingered the one labelled 'chamber of secrets'. **I have to check that out! Thought Draco, imagining all the kind of things which could be there now. He began to roll up the sheet with every intention of stealing it from the library, but the bumps began to glow instead. He fingered the chamber one, hoping that it might transport him there. But it didn't. ****figures**; the only cool thing I find quickly doesn't work!** He took it anyway, but managed to hit the one labelled 'Fawkes' by accident. Immediately, he disappeared from that room, map in her hands. **

Draco opened his eyes. In front of him was the headmaster, and he appeared to be in Dumbledore's office. He tried to look innocent, but Dumbledore saw through that… "Why don't you give me that map, Mr Malfoy" he asked. Draco didn't have much choice, so he handed it over. Dumbledore continued, "There are a great many places in this school which were not deemed dangerous once. Now, I believe they are. Books hatch ideas in eager students' minds, sometimes these are not very pleasant ones. I advise you to forget about going to that library again, Mr Malfoy, it might only bring trouble. Would you like a lemon drop?" Draco laughed at the quick change of subject, politely refused and told him of his now extinguished ambition to return. The Head looked deep into his eyes, but let him leave. 

Draco resolved to go to the stairs as soon as he could. "Right," he thought, "next time I see a map, I leave it alone!!!!"


	20. 20: Analysing the data

**_FIRSTLY: I am so sorry I haven't updated for so long, I have had a really bad case of writer's block. Plus I was busy with both schools, my real one, and Virtual Hogwarts. But as a present for being so patient, here's a Long chapter for you. Please review! _**

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**_***IMPORTANT***_**

**_SECONDLY:_****_ some of you might have some trouble reviewing this chapter, because the intro was deleted, making the old ch.20 19. so please log out, and then review me. if you do… next update I'll give you TWO characters to play with…._**

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**_THIRDLY:_****_ I was banned temporarily from updating because my first chapter was an author note. Hence, it was deleted._**

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**_FOURTHLY:_****_ Yay! I have reached 150 reviews! But guess what? I have received my first ever bad review! And it was my 150th! I think this is a momentous occasion; the fact that someone hated it enough to use up the prodigious accolade of 150th reviewer. So well done "me", you were my 150th reviewer! _**

**_And here's what "me" said:_**

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"it sucks Harry is not a wimp nor is he stupid as you have depicted him."

**_Well, next time anyone wants to say my stories "suck" then please do so with the correct grammar. I have never made Harry a wimp; merely someone with too much on their shoulders. Neither did I say he was stupid; just that he misses certain things. The smartest people in the world can miss things. But leaving that,_**

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**_Thank you s:_**

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**_Anniacuru: my beta, my friend, you've been there to discuss my story when my block was at its strongest. Thank you. *sends diary Ginny to you.*_**

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**_Benjis_****_ VIP: Glad you like it! Sorry for the delay! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you, honey covered of course!*_**

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**_Purebloods Rule: glad to be at your service, but how can such filth as I manage to procure Draco for you? *smirks* glad you liked it. *sends a honey covered Draco to you*_**

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**_Kittylace_****_: *eats muffins* glad you like it! But truly, would you like to split Sirius and Remus up either? Oh well. Thanks for reviewing. *sends a honey covered Remus to you.*_**

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**_Taz_****_: I know, I'll have to fix that. Thanks for reviewing me! *sends bertie botts beans*_**

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**_Kia_****_ – kawaii princess: glad you love it!!! Yay! Thanks for saying it is one of your faves, I'm honoured, there are so many amazing fics out there! actually the plot won't thicken for a while, that was more of a filler chapter, but I'll make it into something important in time. Thanks for reviewing! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you, honey covered of course!*_**

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**_Demon-rose: yup, it did. Thanks for the review! *sends a chocolate covered Draco.*_**

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**_JLCollett_****_: nope, Harry's. *smirks* naa, he can be yours for a while *sends Draco to you* thanks for the review!_**

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**_Yuyin_****_: glad you liked it! Thanks for the review! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry to you, honey covered of course!*_**

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**_Spider-monkey demon: glad you like the library, I a going to have to try to fit that into the plot somewhere now… thanks for the review! *sends a honey covered Draco to you*_**

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**_Kimmy15: maybe, maybe not… it all depends… wahahaha!!!  Thanks for the review! *sends a honey covered Draco*_**

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**_saiFong_****_: blondie? Blondie? You refer to Draco the magnificent as Blondie? Arg!!! Good luck finding your papers, I know that feeling… here's your fix, *sends Draco to you covered in chocolate*_**

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**_kairi099: I guess she just stayed lost. Oh well, I don't really know! Thanks for the review! *sends Draco to you with marshmallows*_**

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**_Sammi:*glomps*Harry's fear will be explained in this chapter. The reason Draco was a she was because I was just copying my RP in virtual Hogwarts, and I guess I just missed a few. Sorry. I thought your cat was called reebok? *plays with scetchers* the chamber didn't work because the place where it would have taken him to was where the rocks fell. I don't think that the chamber will feature again. *smiles* glad you love me, either way ok! *watches Draco dance with Sammi and sends Harry as well*_**

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**_Fallenangel664: perhaps, but not very soon… thanks for reviewing, glad you liked it! *sends Draco with vanilla ice-cream*_**

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**_To everyone else, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please review!_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An/ something written down/ prophesy_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

~~~ = scene / POV change.

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**_CHAPTER 20_**

Over the next week, Draco did not have enough time to check out the stairs again, but he did try once or twice. The stairs stayed resolutely still, and wouldn't change to the other corridor. **Damn it. He figured that Dumbledore had fixed the stairs to not move, and only slightly pitied the lonely portrait up there.**

His meetings with Harry had stopped for a while too, and he was looking forwards to transfigurations, partly to see Harry, partly because he was eager to find out his form.

~~~

"Congratulations, you have nearly completed this project; soon you will become fully fledged animagi, like myself." McGonagall surveyed her class with satisfaction; they were bright students, who she hoped would fulfil the roles Dumbledore so fervently believed them to be capable of doing. "Today, I want you to analyse your findings in preparation for the actual transformation.  I want you to fill in this parchment in reference to your books." With a flick of her wrist, she sent everyone a sheet of parchment with questions.

Draco caught both his and Harry's, and promptly held the shorter boy's one out of his reach. Ron, who was sitting behind them, went spare, but Harry carefully said, "Do you want McGonagall to give you a detention?" Draco scowled for show and dropped it into his hands. The Gryffindors tittered until McGonagall glared. 

"You may only speak with your partner, and due to the project's… nature, privacy will be ensured." She waved her wand and the tables glowed red. Harry turned to Hermione to ask what was happening; all he could see where her table was supposed to be was a ball of some metallic substance. All the tables were covered in it. He called to her and everyone else loudly until Draco hit him on the head with the textbook hard. 

"Shut up!" he told the frantic Harry, "don't you see?" he pointed above their table, where an orb which looked like it was made with the same stuff as the things blocking the other tables. Harry looked at him blankly. **How blind and stupid can you get?** Draco asked himself before realising that if Harry had grown up with muggles, then he would not have known about the security above them. "It's a privaball. All anyone can see outside of the ball's sphere is a mirrored surface. They cannot hear anything."

"Really?" Harry asked amazed, "no one knows what we're doing?" 

Draco shook his head. Harry grinned and lunged at him, kissing his ferociously. _I've been wanting to do that all morning!!!_ Draco kissed back momentarily but pushed Harry off. "Work… Do…" Harry sulked. "And how were you going to explain bruised lips to your friends later?" Draco asked smirking, and looked around, "there is no one else here…" Harry blushed, _hadn't thought of that! Suspecting this to be the case, Draco smirked until Harry hit him over the head. "Hey! Watch the hair!" Draco stuck his tongue out and got his quill out. "Let's do this together. I'll write, you look up. We'll do you first. Ok, question number 1, what form does your Patronus take. That's a stag. Number two, using the chapter on Patronus, how does this animal describe you? I think we have covered this," under the question on Harry's sheet, Draco wrote in his elegant handwriting, "arrogant prat."_

"Hey!" Harry yelled indignantly. Draco smirked and scratched out his answer. "Found it" Harry said and began to read the passage out for Draco to summarise. 

"**_A Patronus is an escape from despair. It is used to ward off bad feelings, depression and the like. That said; the form it takes is special to the caster. It usually has some relevance to their nature,_** yadda yadda yadda." Harry skimmed over a couple of paragraphs, "**_a Patronus is generally an animal. This animal has a key to your character; its form is a portrayal of your actions and reactions."_**

"So," Draco interrupted, "the animal is a mini representation of you. What does it say about stags?"

"**_Stags are solitary creatures, they are powerful, and are not afraid to show it by fighting in mating season_**."

"Ha!" yelled Draco, "you are a precocious little cub in lion's clothing."

"**_They are family creatures_**," continued Harry, "**_and long for love in search of completion_."**

"Aw, poor Bambi has lost his parents and wants to become one," simpered Draco.

"Shut up Draco, just because some people don't like attachments doesn't mean that those who do are saps."

Harry's words hit Draco hard; on some level everyone yearned for completion, it was just his family did it through power. Love tended not to come into the equation. He stayed silent as Harry looked for stallion. 

"I have told you this before, but now I don't doubt it.**_ Stallions run with the pack, but stand out significantly. They lead the pack. _Stop smirking. **_In Art horses, especially galloping stallions symbolise power and passion for life. They protect whom they love violently and are very possessive. _**Got that down?"**

"Yes, but you left out, horses are the best character to have."

"Oh shut up. You don't think that. Would you really swap lives with someone and expect them to enjoy it? I wouldn't."

"Yes, but you're a perfect little angel."

"No, just a Gryffindor," Harry replied.

"And there are no decent Slytherins?" Harry gave him a look that conveyed his scepticism on that being the case. "Just because we're ambitious doesn't mean we're evil!" Draco continued, "Good is making a comeback. Now, on to three and four, subliminal thoughts. That was the gel. Yours didn't work, so look up Cai."

Harry turned red, "actually, I did get something…"

"What was it then?" Draco asked intrigued, "why did you want to hide it?"

"It was… you."

"Me?" Draco was flabbergasted, how could he be Harry's inner being?

"Yup," Harry replied, blush becoming more prominent as he tried to hide behind the book.

"This is rich!" Draco laughed at the Wizarding world's hero having such a connection with himself. "But what does it mean?"

Harry looked for the chapter, after a while, when his blush had died down slightly, he looked up and asked, "Would the phrase 'thought manifestations' explain the goo?"

"Yes," replied Draco bluntly, "now, get on with it."

Harry began to readout the passage, "**_the manifestation of your thoughts is a key to your drive; the reasons for your actions. The creature" _I resent that! Draco thought, but didn't interrupt. "****_…is usually an animal but may be a person. In this case, it simply means that thy have a strong presence in the caster's mind at the time. It appears especially if the caster is trying to stop or block memories or thoughts of that person coming unbidden and unwanted to their mind at that point in time."_**

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"Can't stop thinking about me?" Draco smirked.

"You were looking at me!"

"Oh, and I've never done that before," Draco replied snidely.

"That is all the book says, I'll look for Cai."

Draco lost his drawl, and adopted a tone similar to Trelawney and her predictions, "I sense a change in subject here!"

Harry carried on regardless, "kitten… kitten… got it. **_Suggests a playfulness of character, though not innocence. These people have been to town and painted it red. Kittens do however, need to be cared for."_**

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"I do not!" Draco sulked, lips forming a sweet pout, which Harry was almost sidetracked with, but he persevered.

"**_…and like to live in the lap of luxury, waited on hand and foot."_**

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"I have become accustomed to it," said Draco, with the haughtiness of his youth.

"And you say I'm conceited? Bloody hell. What's the next question?"

"Fear," Draco read out, "analyse the form your Bogart took, refer to page 42." 

Harry turned to 42 and began to read, "**_fear… nothing truly defines your character more than your innermost fear. Your psyche is explained by what you would give anything for it not to happen, or not to meet it. Given that it is something that the person will avoid at all costs, knowing this about someone will give you a great advantage if you ever were against him or her for some reason._ Hmm, I think this book was written by a Slytherin. Let's do yours first. It was your father."**

"I'm not afraid of that pillock." Draco sneered, a coldness penetrating his previously warmish voice.

"Then what are you afraid of?" asked Harry tentatively, not wanting to get Draco more angry.

Draco became quieter. "becoming him. My whole life I have been raised to idolise him and his master." Draco spat on the ground, the gesture more significant by the aristocratic background that Draco had come from. "They have wanted me for their cause for years. Actually, they haven't, it was just expected that I would willingly become a slave. Even by the honour-abiding Gryffins! Well, I hold my heritage with more respect than my father does! he has destroyed our picture, making it a name unworthy for the dirt on the ground. I want respect; the name 'Malfoy' should be able to give me that heedless of my actions! I live in the house of a stranger, one who has usurped my ancestry. My mother, she loves me, but was too afraid to do what was necessary to protect her child until it was too late."

Silence descended the table at Draco's words. Harry wanted to say something, but nothing see4med to be appropriate. A consolation would be ineffectual and pointless, as Draco seemed to be over it. A sob story of his own would be immature, and carrying swiftly on would lighten the matter, as if it were nothing.

"Enough about it," Draco said brusquely, closing the matter. "What are you afraid of, Harry?"

Recognising his name, Harry was brought out of his stupor, and tried to remember his Bogart self and its characterizations. "Weakness." Harry concluded after much thought, "I'm afraid that I won't be able to help someone, I won't be able to prevent another death. I won't be able to let people rely on me. I need to help, I need to win, people, wizards, need me."

After this little speech, Draco threw his hands in the air and cried out indignantly, "Hecate, help him!" he turned to Harry, "can you hear yourself? You sound like something under the power of Dumbledore! They don't need you! You are just a scapegoat!" Harry moved to protest, but Draco wouldn't let him get a word in edgeways. "It's not your fault. The whole human race in existence does not rely on your shoulders! You're just a child! Hell, we all are! Dumbledore's 'army' is using you for its own interests! You're only seventeen!"  

Harry was touched by the care in Draco's tone as he yelled at him. He disagreed, but did not say so. He moved to touch his shoulder, but Draco angrily batted his arm away. "read the inner eye chapter." He said coldly.

"It's not my fault! They chose me; not the other way round! Do you think I like…"

"read the chapter." Draco cut him off icily. Harry gave up, and looked for the required pages.

"**_your inner being is your soul's residence, so to speak. It is generally scenery, or an element of some kind, perhaps a candle, or a puddle, suggesting fire or water. These elements have influence on everything else. They also indicate your demeanour. The meaning behind them however is unique, so the meaning must be discovered by the people themselves, and not dictated by a book._** That's helpful." 

He turned to Draco, who was lost in thought. Draco's face suddenly lightened, and as a great revelation, he said, "fire."

"Sorry?"

"You. When Voldemort spoke to me, there were salamanders and they were writhing in a carpet of flames. If a candle is a normal person's power, then you are a master." 

Harry was shocked by Draco's words. Mainly because he had complimented him straight out, without insulting him. "What does it mean though?" he asked.

Draco's irritation returned at full force, and he asked Harry, "Do I have to do everything?"

"You seem to be the one with the most knowledge about it."

"Honestly," Draco exclaimed, before moving the parchment aside and faced Harry. "I'll indulge your stupidity. Fire shows ardour, passion, you are swept up by your emotions and that almost always leads you to do something rash. Stupid Gryffindor." He concluded affectionately.

"So, emotions rule my behaviour and my power?"

"It is controllable, with time… your fire was consisted though; it had no flares. You can tame an unchanging fire." Said Draco, remembering one of their first civil conversations; civil being: not brandishing wands and/or fighting. 

Harry thought about that night, he was there to figure out the prophesy about silver and green. Draco had smirked, walking away as he replied to Harry, and Harry had realised that his eyes were silver, and not grey. "That's it!" he cried, brain finally clicking, "You're silver, your eyes, the hat! Green… that's me! He told us to be friends!"

"Are you telling me," Draco sneered, "that it took you this long to figure this out? Voldemort should be ashamed, being beaten by you so many times. But anyway, do me again; I want to know my power source." Draco moved his chair so he was directly facing Harry. He caught Harry's eyes and kept it. 

Harry shifted uncomfortably; Draco's gaze often did that to him. He tried to concentrate but it was more Draco observing him than the other way round. "Stop it," he grumbled, "I need to concentrate."

"Get on with it."

Harry looked into Draco's eyes, once again, once again the pools of silver that they were that night. _So beautiful…_ Harry gave into his instincts and dived into the depths. Harry lost the view of the room, and the rest of Draco; he only saw shifting silver. It was clearing, and Harry strained his eyes to look, turning to see behind him also. 

He saw water, clear and still, there were no animals here whatsoever, nor plants. Harry had an overwhelming desire to jump in, but the quiet was foreboding and ominous. The silence hung in the atmosphere, stifling Harry's thoughts. _Too quiet…_ Harry suddenly heard a roar. He looked over to where he thought the noise was and took a step back. He saw rocks and water cascading over them. It was a waterfall…

The noise was deafening, and water droplets were obscuring his vision. He walked towards the spray, hands outstretched. Water drenched his hand, but Harry couldn't feel the water, it was more like electricity. With each droplet in the mist, Harry felt a jolt, not a painful one, but one with enough force to feel in the numbing sensation that was engulfing Harry. Harry shut his eyes in disbelief, and when he opened them, he saw Draco looking at him with worry.

"What did you see?" he asked Harry, annoyed that his voice showed so much emotion.

Harry was dazed; his vision was more intense than what Draco had said his was like. Draco had not been able to move. It was like a dream, and Harry told him about it. "It was a dream, I saw water, a waterfall, the water shocked me, but I wanted to sleep. I wanted the water to stop poking me and carry me away…"

Draco listened amazed, in awe of the depth Harry had managed to go into Draco's mind. He was more than a little peeved that he couldn't reach that depth in Harry, but put that down to Harry having an evil door attendant. "The water, I guess that was my element, but it shocked you, adding electricity into the mix. Your fire, it was a carpet, meaning ground. I guess we compliment each other, earth: electricity, water: fire.

The water was ambiguous; not necessarily water, but it seemed water. I think this means that the façade of calmness is my power. People are angered by my tranquillity, and therefore become careless. It also shows control; I can mask my emotions, whereas you thrive on them."

He looked down on the now full sheet. "I guess that's it." He put away his books, rolled up the parchments, and left the sphere. Harry watched him enter the teacher's one to hand in the scrolls and he left the room. Harry followed him quickly, amazed by how deep Draco could understand such things.


	21. 21: arguments, schemes & blowing up teac...

**_Sorry for such a long wait, but it is finally here... *sighs*. This took me ages to write, and I hope you like it, it has equal fluff, angst, conspiracy, Snape, and other characters! Well, I don't need to say more, but I hope you enjoy it, and please please please please review!_**

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**_Anniacuru: beauty, beta, love you. Thank you. *sends Draco and Harry to act out your plot scenes for your viewing pleasure*_**

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**_Aoi_****_ Me : hello, welcome to my story, glad you like it. The library… I meant that as a filler chapter, now I have to make it part of the plot. It will be, in the future, someday… sorry you had to wait, hope you enjoy, and as I promised, *sends Draco or Harry to get covered in honey*_**

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**_theTigersFire_****_: glad you liked it. Here's the next chapter! *sends a honey covered Draco or Harry* _**

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**_Sammi: I hadn't died, I was just So busy… nice to see you cared though! Ohh, you have lots of cats… aw. *glomps back* either way, Harry isn't so naïve in this chapter… *licks lips*, no worries, I will have yaoi in the next chapter, or the one after… but soon… Thanks for reviewing! *Sends Draco and Blaise to play*_**

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**_Kittylace_****_: if I could send jack, I'd send him to myself!!! Not my fandom, sorry mate. You can still have one of the boys, and as I promised, two, actually. Beautiful? Glad you think so!!! Glad you liked it, and sorry for the wait! *sends Remus and Sirius with honey*_**

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**_ Ducky: thank you for the review, glad you like it. *sends a cream cheese frosting Draco* by the way.. cream cheese?_**

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**_saiFong_****_: No worries, he just doesn't like it. Glad you liked it, sorry for the wait! *sends Draco and Harry*_**

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**_Dragenphly_****_: *laughs, then faints* Dragonphly reviewed me… ha… *faints*. It is so wonderful to have a review from someone whose stories you respect yourself. Thank you!!!!! You do not make mistakes! *bows* Harry does seem to be a bit weak, but, he is just confused, and Draco simply knows what he wants, *coughs* don't worry about him though, he stands up for himself in this chapter, and gets Draco to be all poetical!!! And no, this story isn't really planned at all. I started this story with a chapter which I am guessing will be about ch. 30. It was them, and I can't say more. The animagi, that came later. The prophesies, that came as I wrote. That's the reason these updates aren't consistent, I have to wait for inspiration! _**

**_~Thank you for reviewing me! *sends a very… let's just say, sends Draco and Harry over with various spreadable sweet things.*_**

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**_sapphire-wolf1_****_: glad you liked it! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out, sorry. But I hope you like this chapter, *sends Draco and Harry over* _**

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**_EyezOfDeath_****_: thanks for the review! *sends a chocolate covered Draco* you know, I hadn't really realised how good they were, and how they fit, until I read some really good fanfic. Now I'm hooked!_**

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**_ flack: glad you liked the analysis, it took a while, but I kinda had to think about it before I chose the forms, so.. Harry was cute, wasn't he? Hope you like this chapter, *sends a chocolate covered Harry*_**

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**_Kimmy15: not yet, sorry, next chapter though! Thanks for reviewing! *sends Harry over with marshmallows*_**

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**_Spidermonkey_****_-Demon: see, don't I just give the best presents? Glad you like the story, thanks for the review, *sends Draco and Harry over with whipped cream* _**

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**_Kairi099: glad you like the metaphors, it took a while, but It was worth it. The comparison was fun to do , and I'm glad so many people love it. Thanks for the review!!! *sends Draco and Harry with strawberries*_**

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**_FallenAngel664: glad you liked it, thanks for the review! *sends Draco and Harry*_**

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**_Key:_**

**_An/letter/prophesy/books_**

**Draco thought**

_Harry thought_

Normal

Stressed

~~~ = scene change

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**_Chapter 21_**

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"Draco, wait!" Harry ran after Draco; forgoing all consequences as he ran. He ran down a corridor looking for the Slytherin when an arm shot out of a classroom and pulled him in suddenly.

"What do you think you are doing?" Draco whispered harshly. "The whole world knows your bloody voice and my name!" he put a hand over Harry's mouth so that he could continue his rant without interruptions. "Anyone could have heard; and our lives are on the line!" Draco glared at Harry, removed his hand, and promptly kissed him violently. Just as Harry began to respond however, he pushed him away. "Go away."

"Why?" asked Harry indignant at the push.

"I went for a reason." Draco said quietly. **More like ran…**

"Yeah," said Harry sarcastically, "because running has always worked before" he snapped, tired of the Slytherin's games. "I want to be able to come up to you in the corridors and say hi. Hell, I want to blood ravish you when you get near me! Yet we shy in corners; wait until dark… this isn't love."

Draco laughed hollowly, "Oh, you think this is love?" he asked Harry, who did not trust his voice to speak. "Love… love is for creatures of the light." He stepped away from Harry, pale features immediately engulfed by the room's overcast shadows, leaving the boy with dark features alone once again in the limelight. "Not for those with darkness inside…"

Draco's double standards infuriated Harry. He growled in an animalistic way, before checking himself. His eyes blazed however. "You think that you are the only one with darkness?" he asked fiercely, and cut off Draco's response, "Voldemort is in me, he himself is a decrepit old fool, but he has power. I feel that power constantly, occumency or not, it's in there, throbbing. I see all of the hurt deatheaters cause, and I see friends hurt, friends dead… and I had the power to stop it, not to let it happen. There is a Darkness in me, and a rage strong enough to unleash it. But I cannot, I'd lose control, I would save someone, yet lose myself."

Draco was stunned; Harry wasn't usually this eloquent. He did not move from the shadows however. "You and I, we're so alike… I may not bear the world on my shoulders as you do, but I have ambitions of my own. You may have given up on that, but I am still very much in it for the pleasure."

"I have compromises…"

"Compromises?" Draco cut in, "What compromises? Whether the self proclaimed Lord will attack you?"

"I just… forget it." Harry said. _I don't want to see you get hurt…_

Draco stepped towards him, usual mask askew. "Why?" he asked, "simple question, why? There are hundreds at this school and I am drawn to you! Our bloody souls say that we match. I just don't see it; I just don't…" he trailed off, voice calmer, "I just don't seem to care; about the consequences, the repercussions, my welfare, benefit… I watch the world with my usual scepticism, yet all I see is you…"

Draco's eyes were pained; he had been holding the thought at the back of his mind for a while without it surfacing. But it came out so clearly; less jumbled than his thoughts had been. He smiled, not a seductive one, nor a smirk, but a real smile. He discarded his father's mask, which was screaming at him, telling him that Harry was a toy and that he should not get attached, but Draco paid it no heed and walked ever closer to Harry.

Harry was confused; Draco seemed… human. He was showing weaknesses the old Draco wouldn't have, let alone show. He frowned slightly, watching the boy advance with not a glimpse of the predator that he usually was. Draco's words had also struck a chord, and Harry was annoyed with himself for not having a decent comeback. Yet the stronger part of him didn't care, and watched, enraptured with Draco's true liquid eyes. "I don't know what to say." He stuttered.

"Then don't." Draco hushed him with a gentle finger to Harry's lips. He wasn't expecting Harry to kiss it, nor to take it into his mouth and begin sucking slightly, looking up at Draco with mint-fresh young eyes. "We need to get a room!" Draco said, slightly breathlessly.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Draco's reaction. **Very un-gryffin.** "You think?" he asked, leaving Draco's finger soft. He pouted and blew slightly on the digit. 

**Where did Harry learn this? **Draco thought, before regaining his senses and dragged Harry down towards the dungeons and his room, heedless of anyone else, quite un-Slytherin-like.

~~~

Out of the corridors, two figures emerged. They were female and both wore similar expressions of confusion. "Well…" Demitra Krusnov said, smirking slightly. She turned to her friend.

"What do we have here?" Sammi asked her back with mock innocence. It did not suit her. 

"It looks like inter-house relations have improved," Demitra said dryly. 

"Obviously," came the reply, "where was the memo?"

"Perhaps it was only for quidditch teams."

"I am in the Quidditch team!" Sammi said indignantly.

"Sorry," Demitra said with a put on obsequiousness, "I meant… for competent players." She prepared to duck a blow to the head.

"Oh very amusing," Sammi said, and stuck out her tongue to her friend. "But let us think of the matter in hand, what is my dear captain and seeker doing consorting with the Gryffindor seeker, and head moron of Hogwarts?"

"They seemed rather familiar with each other…"

"And in a hurry…" Sammi raised an eyebrow. 

"I do believe that something is brewing."

Sammi couldn't hide her glee from her Raven friend "yes, I believe it is. I do hope that that irritating Charlie girl does not know. She is much too blunt to be stealthy."

The Slytherin escorted her friend silently and rapidly to their favourite, if irritating, source of information.

~~~

"I don't know what you're talking about." Blaise said, having been pinned to an armchair by Sammi and Demitra. He snarled at the latter girl, "you shouldn't even be here, shove off and go to your own common room!"

Demitra simply shook her head and addressed her friend, "I thought you lot were supposed to be ambitious? This boy does not want to live to see tomorrow…" 

Sammi nodded and slowly took out her wand. Blaise shivered, "Really, I don't know!" he said, "I'll look into it ok?" 

Sammi put her wand back up her sleeve, "and don't go directly to Draco about it, do you understand?"

~~~

the next few days were rather painful for Blaise and simply tiresome for Draco and Harry. Blaise wasn't the most inconspicuous of stalkers there were; his 'stealth' consisted of making more noise than when he was walking normally. 

As a result of this, Draco was getting rather tired of getting… worked up… and not getting a release, thanks to Harry's paranoia. Blaise was jinxed, hexed, and cursed with all manner of things ranging from boils in the genital area (if Draco was in a good mood, or Harry intervened) to (finally, when he got on Harry's nerves as well) transforming him into a flobberworm. Circe changed him back before Snape became concerned however. This did manage to confirm the girls' suspicions and they gleefully began to scheme…

~~~

The days couldn't go fast enough for the Gryffindor and Slytherin students that week. In anticipation of their final animagi transformations, the class had managed to forget everything else, much to Snape's dismay.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" he shouted, after the fifth cauldron of calming potion exploded in a shower of violet sparks dying everything it managed to splash a vivid green. Harry's hair, thanks to Ron and Neville, matched his eyes. Draco, Seamus and Hermione also all sported green splattered robes thanks to Lavender and Millicent's cauldron.

The Slytherins would have sniggered had not Theodore and Blaise's cauldron done the same staining most of their cloaks. Snape had actually taken ten points off Slytherin for it.

He was one of the few teachers actually to persevere to the end of the week. He finally cracked on Friday, where Potions was the lesson directly before Transfigurations. 

"Go!" he shouted, as a sixth cauldron blew; this time, Hermione's one. He looked at her shocked green face with as much disbelief as she had. Draco, who was her partner, looked just as shocked. Ron and Harry tried to hide their grins at the resident potion masters messing up. Snape simply glared, and said, as if defeated, "go… no homework, just go." He gritted his teeth, "enjoy your next lesson," he said, trying not to look at Draco or Harry, who had matching innocent faces. Neither convinced him, and he retreated to his chambers to have a stiff drink. 

~~~

"'Mione, that was brilliant!" Ron said, as Hermione cleared up the remnants of her cauldron, which had cracked. 

"Don't thank me," she said, then turned to Harry, "Malfoy put me up to it. He said that he had places to go, people to see." She coughed at 'see'. "He gave me his cauldron due to the leaves he put in this one." She said, frowning, "I'm not sure they were legal. Oh well." Hermione grinned. "Didn't you say you had a meeting with Dumbledore now?" she asked, eyes telling Harry exactly which 'D' she was letting him go to now.

He grinned, "Thanks, Hermione, I almost forgot," and before Ron asked, "nothing important, I hope I'm not late for lessons!" he said, and then ran off. 

"What was that about?" Ron asked Hermione, leaning on the table, blocking her from clearing up, without realising.

Hermione's eyes gleamed, "nothing special; he just wants to make sure Harry's having enough fun."


	22. 22: of fun and transformations

**_So So So sorry for the long wait, but my muse simply vanished for such a long time. I'm not Completely happy with this chapter, but Claudia may kill me if I don't update.Secondly, You have your sex scene! And it was Bloody hard to write!!! So don't kill me… _**

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**_Thank you to all who have reviewed; I'm nearly at 200! *hint hint*_**

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**_Anniacuru: gorgeous, I love you._**

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**_Claudia: Here it is, sorry for the wait. *sends a chocolate covered Draco*_**

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**_Spidermonkey_****_-Demon: thanks for reviewing! *sends a chocolate covered Draco*_**

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**_Amanda: The only saint-like quality I have is my steadfast belief in the true faith, Draco and Harry. Thank you for your praise, and I'll take it as you enjoyed the story so far. Don't worry, you get close to R here. *sends a honey covered Harry or Draco.*_**

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**_SaiFong_****_: *lives* awww._****_ Hope you like this, so sorry for the delay, but I think waiting for a good-ish chapter is better than not waiting for an awful one. *sends Draco with marshmallows*_**

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**_Dracori_****_: Hi again, welcome back!_****_ Thanks for reviewing, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends Draco to you with caramel*_**

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**_Kittylace_****_: here they are, sorry for the delay! *sends fudge for Siri and Remus.* I expect you to send me a copy of that tape!_**

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**_Lorelei_****_: Sorry for such a long wait! But here it is, and I hope you enjoy it! *sends a candy-floss covered Draco*_**

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**_My Gilded Cage: *takes worship accordingly, then shoots awol muse* Thank you so much, but I'm afraid that this is incredibly late. My muse had died, and I haven't been able to rejuvenate her. *sends Draco to you, with cookies and cream icecream.*_**

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**_Kalinta_****_: Glad you like it!_****_ Welcome to the story! *sends  Draco with strawberries and chocolate syrup*_**

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**_Moonysgirl_****_: glad you do! *sends Remus with chocolate*_**

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**_TheTiger'sFire_****_: well why didn't you say so?_****_ *sends a honey covered Ron*_**

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**_Willowstar_****_: *grins* thank you so much, *sends draco with sticky sweet substance*_**

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**_Elebereth_****_: Glad you like it!_****_ *sends Draco with honey*_**

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**_Flame Rhiannon: Have I?  hmm, I'll have to fix that then. Thanks for telling me, and I'm glad to have created a fic to keep anyone attached to the computer for so long! *sends Draco or Harry with cookies*_**

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**_Person: thanks._****_ *sends cookie*_**

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**_Self ignored: what's a zooblink? *sends Harry with honey, after watching sweet dance*_**

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**_SimoneSimon_****_: glad you liked it! *sends Draco or Harry with honey*_**

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**_Eternity: Thank you. Draco and Harry are the one true pair. *grins, and grabs paper, to try and lure muse back* Thank you for the review, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! *sends an IC Draco to you, with honey*_**

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**_Warmlight_****_: Glad you liked it! You'll find that out this chapter! Thanks for reviewing! *sends your choice of Draco or Harry, honey covered, of course*_**

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**_i_****_*_****_love*harry*and*draco*slash: thanks for the review! *sends Draco or Harry with honey*_**

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**_crazy-lil-nae-nae_****_: firstly, love your name, secondly, thanks for the review! *sends wet Draco to you*_**

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**_Dragenphly_****_: So sorry about the late-ness of this chapter, *shoots muse, when she finds her* Glad you liked it; it is the little touches which make it fun to write! I hope you enjoy this chapter, although, it was rather forced, and less muse-sent. *sends Draco and vanilla ice cream* _**

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**_Flack_****_: His hair… that faded slightly, it is back to black now. Glad you enjoyed it, and don't worry; RL is a nuisance. Oh well, *sends another Draco laden with Belgian chocolate*_**

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**_Morbid Mind: Nah, you're doing great. Thanks, glad to have your approval. *sends dancing frogs.* *frogs don't dance* *glares at frogs and feeds one to Masque.* *frogs dance*_**

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**_Aoi_****_ Me: Well, Hermione knows about Draco and Harry's relationship, and she is more than happy to indulge the poor boy's teenage lusts. *smirks* Thanks for reviewing anyway. *sends Draco with your favourite chocolate bar*_**

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**_Sess9: thanks for the review! *sends Draco or Harry with honey*_**

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**_CuriousDreamWeaver_****_: Thank you for your review; which was more thought out that fangirl squees, (which I'm not against, *grins*) *sends Harry and Cai to play* Thank you for reviewing, and I hope you like this chapter!_**

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**_Key: (as if you didn't know)_**

**_An_****_ / poetry/ prophesy / letters or books._**

**Draco's POV**

_Harry's POV_

Normal

~~~ = scene change.

Stressed.

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**_Chapter 22_**

"Nice idea" Harry said, as he caught up with Draco.

"Of course it was nice, it was mine"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "is everything of yours just nice?"

Draco smirked, "well, you're adequate, but…" he ducked as Harry swung his arm towards his head. "I'm going to have to tame you."

"I thought you liked me wild" Harry sulked.

Draco leaned in to kiss him. "Yes… but obedient." He took Harry's arm and dragger him to his room, ignoring Circe's smirk while doing so. Once the portrait had shut, he turned to Harry with a feral grin on his face. "Now, where were we?" 

Harry smiled and walked to him, breathing in the scent of vanilla he was so acquainted with. "Why don't you tell me?" he asked, licking his lips seductively. 

"I do believe that it is your turn to make the suggestions." Draco began to kiss him again fiercely, making every second count. 

"We only have 20 minutes." Harry said, making no effort to move away from Draco's insistent lips. 

The Slytherin raised an eyebrow, "you think you're not competent enough to satisfy me that quickly?" he smirked. Harry opened his mouth to make a comment, but decided to put his tongue to better use. He stuck it out and slowly brought it down from Draco's blonde hairline near his temple along his jaw line, nipping his lower lip gently. Draco wasn't about to let Harry have all the fun however, and quickly opened his mouth and grabbed Harry's tongue with his teeth. He began to suck on it gently. 

Having reduced Harry to a puddle of goo, (figuratively speaking) he then pushed the gryffin onto the bed and swiftly straddled him. "Let's see what you have for me today," he asked, opening Harry's shirt and ignoring the buttons flying off. At this point, he paused, just to admire what years of quidditch and housework had done to Harry's well-formed and tanned muscles. Harry exploited the paused by pushing up, and flipping Draco onto the bed with Harry on top. Harry did the same to Draco, except did not pause before he leaned down and began to lick Draco's pale chest. Slowly but surely he brought his tongue over the middle of Draco's stomach, sticking his tongue into his navel to tickle him. "Stop that!" Draco managed to get out, before convulsing in laughter. "You know I'm sensitive." Harry smirked, and went lower, until he was directly over Draco's crotch. Slowly, and careful not to tickle Draco too much, Harry brought his hand up towards where his head was currently residing. He fumbled in his haste feeling for the zip that was obstructing him. Finally, his fingers found their goal, and Harry pulled the elusive metal downwards and unbuttoning the black suede trousers obstructing him.

On the wall of the room, a large red light began to flash. 

A cacophony of curses came into Draco's mind as he noticed it, as he was in a rather comfortable position. He jumped and rolled to the side; leaving Harry crouched over the blanket, very very confused. He lifted his head slowly, and saw the light. _Wha…?_ Draco however, who had more control than the Gryffin managed to pull him off the bed, to the side nearer the wall. From under the bed, they could both see the portrait opening. Draco was confused; usually Circe kept people, well Snape, out. 

They saw a pair of feet walk in slowly under a long robe. "Professor McGonagall would be rather upset if you missed her lesson. May I suggest you hurry there?" 

Beside Draco, Harry was going a deep red, and trying quietly to fumble with his broken buttons. He coughed slightly, and then said, "Yes Professor Dumbledore." The feet waltzed out again. He stood up, and buttoned up his trousers. "Well, that wasn't particularly polite; interrupting us."

Harry stood up too; having lost his battle with his shirt it hung open displaying his chest. Draco looked at it predatorily for a second, before snapping out of it. "Hurry up." He said to the gryffin, who still looked the same colour as his shirt, crimson. "I want to find out what we are," he moaned, before pouting. This brought Harry out of his mortal embarrassment, and kissed the too-sweet-to-be-left-untouched lips of the Slytherin. 

"Come on then!" he said, dragging Draco out of the room and running as fast as he could to the transfigurations classroom. He was five minutes late, and his dishevelled appearance made McGonagall look sternly at him, the class surprised and curious, Ron bewildered, Seamus amused and Hermione knowingly smug. "Sorry… Professor…" he managed to get out between breaths, "I…"

"I don't want to hear it," She said stubbornly, and pointed to a table near the front, away from his friends. He sat down quickly, and tried to make his clothes look more respectable. 

Another minute passed, and Draco strode into the room, looking immaculate, as usual. Harry glared at him. _How does he manage to do that?_ Without a glance to Harry, he said to McGonagall, "I had business to attend to." She glowered at him, but stayed silent, pointing to Harry's table. He walked over proudly, and sat down, ignoring the whispers that erupted immediately.

"Enough!" the professor shouted, then calmed slightly. "Today is the day you have been waiting for. Today, you will finally transform into your animagi shapes. I need the cooperation of everyone. One student will transform at a time, as there might not be enough room in the class were anyone to transform into a whale." A few people laughed at her joke. "The student's partner needs to stand by them, repeating the adjectives they have found describe the person during this project, to help the student focus. Stand up everyone, and get into your pairs."

The class obeyed silently, too excited to talk. With a flick of her wand, McGonagall had stacked the tables and chairs in the corner of the room, leaving a large space. Someone called out, "what kind of creatures will we be turning into?" 

McGonagall smiled, and thought for a second, "Well, it depends on your character. Size means nothing to the animal forms, so it is the species, which will be the most interesting. If you mean magical or not, then I think that it will be no. the magical properties of the animals of people who are animagi reflect their own magical power. So, anyone with an animagi form that is magical in itself must be a very powerful witch or wizard who is in tune with his or her magic. But, I'm prattling on," McGonagall called the first pair up. It was Ron and Blaise. 

McGonagall cast a deafening spell on the pupils waiting, so Harry and Draco couldn't hear what was being said by the boys in the centre of the room. Ron seemed rather annoyed, and his freckles were becoming more pronounced as he tried to speak to Blaise, who was smirking. McGonagall had some stern words with them both, and Blaise was more serious. He began to read from a list to Ron, who was calming. After a minute or two, his copper hair began to grow, covering his face, and down his body. The class looked in astonishment. The hair stopped when it had covered his whole form, and rustled slightly. McGonagall had to shout at Blaise to remind him to continue repeating his list. His form was smaller now, and curling into a furry ball. There was a flash, and McGonagall said to the watchers "That only happens if your first time is successful" Harry watched Ron with baited breath. Suddenly, a copper head came out of the fur, with slightly torn ears, and a long snout.

"Typical," Draco said to his Slytherin hangers-on. "Weasley's counterpart is a mangy fox!" The Gryffins, who were just relieved to have Ron alive, laughed a bit too, until Harry and Hermione glared at him. 

"What?" Draco asked, "It is merely an observation that Weasley is not even good enough to warrant a proper fur coat, but a second hand one" He was right, in a way, Ron's coat was slightly flea-bitten. Not that Harry was about to admit it. He turned to look at his friend once more, but found that they had been ushered out of the room to learn how to change back.

Harry watched as his friends one by one turned into animals in front of his eyes. First, it was Hermione, who was a magnificent Tiger with an untameable mane. Then it was Neville, into an owl, and strangely, Seamus, into a penguin. 

It was their turn, Draco and Harry slowly walked into the special ball of secrecy with their notes. "Who's gonna go first?" Harry asked, as they seated themselves on the floor.

"I will," Draco said, and shut his eyes, crossing his legs under him silently. Harry almost forgot to continue, as he stared at the boy sitting so peacefully. __

McGonagall coughed, and Harry ruffled through his notes, looking for his list of adjectives. Once he found them, he began, "You are Draco Malfoy, the dragon of bad faith. You stay faithful to this cause, and…"  
  


"Hurry it up Potter"

"Fine then," Harry stuck his tongue out at Draco, and continued to the words. "You are a leader, and possessive. You are passionate, playful, and tactile, not innocent, arrogant…"

"With good cause."

"Shut up. Concentrate. You are incredibly powerful, and… smart, and beautiful, oh so beautiful…" Harry blushed, but it needed to be said. 

A smirk was on Draco's face, but he began to concentrate hard on the words. His hair suddenly rustled, as if a breeze had picked it up. Harry watched captivated as a small bump appeared on his forehead. Draco leaned down, until his face was on his knees. Harry did not dare touch or say anything to him except repeating the words he had written down. His clothes (a special cloak McGonagall gave them for the tie being as it did not interfere with the transformation) was getting paler, nearly as white as Draco's skin. Then the cloak seemed to cover him entirely, and it was getting darker. Soon it was a deep black velvety texture. Draco brought his head up, and the bump was growing, sharper, longer, as was his chin, and his silvery eyes were confused. When he stood up and swished his tail, Harry almost fainted at the mystical beauty of a black unicorn. 

**Harry, you're in black in white… You're looking at me strangely. I know I'm beautiful, have I changed yet? **All Harry could hear was snorting and whinnying. The class behind him were split, with the boys in a jealous rage at the girls, who were sighing, and proclaiming how they knew he would be magical. McGonagall herself was surprised at the form. But many things were happening around the two boys that she did not want to know about, and was beginning to suspect Cai was telling the truth. 

**Somebody tell me what is going on? Potter? Harry? Have I changed? You look edible; your cloak looks edible. What? **He looked down at his four legs, and then turned his neck as much as he could to see his frame. **I look nice, hell, I'm gorgeous! **He made a turn or two, and bowed his head to the audience of students, then grabbed Harry's collar. **Come on! I want to see what you are!** Harry was still a little dazed, so Draco poked him hard in his behind with his new horn. Harry glared at the unicorn, who if capable, would be smirking. The unicorn prodded him into the other room, amidst the laughter of the class, and ever so slightly, the professor herself. _Some friends you are!_

In the next room, an androgynous wizard was helping the animagi to change back. It all took focus, and an ability to see yourself as your counterpart. As Harry was pushed in, he saw a very confused Seamus waddling out of the room with penguin feet. As Harry passed, he said, in his melodious Irish lilt, " 's not my fault; I've never looked at my feet in much detail!"


	23. 23 Sorry it's late but Voila! Of healer...

Draco evidently had remembered what his human features looked like, and he changed quickly, with no trouble whatsoever. Harry just stared as he turned; marvelling at his beauty, completely forgetting until Draco kissed and pushed him back into the classroom that he would transform as well.

He sat, as they had done with Draco's turn, and listened as Draco read out his description, "Brave, stupid, loving, obsessed with me, strong, and not going to fail if I can help it. You're earth and fire, magic flows through your veins making you more in tune with the world around you. Harry Potter. You look much better without your glasses."

The last point was said as Harry was changing, so its triviality did not matter too much. Harry's cloak was turning a deep green, almost identical to his eyes. It was getting rough, and calloused. For a second, he looked like he was about to turn into a fish. Thankfully, his limbs continued to grow, and not disappear. As the skin he was wearing continued to rough, Draco realised that they were scales. Harry was also growing a tail… **He'll probably be some bloody gryffin.**

Draco still watched though, despite his thoughts. Suddenly, Harry's head shot up, showing everyone a large rift in the scales above his left eyebrow. It was jagged and long, like a scar. It was not as noticeable as he was now larger than Draco was as he stood watching the spectacle. A shrill cry echoed from Harry, as he opened his mouth, and two large stumps erupted where his shoulder blades were. The stumps spread, revealing two leathery wings. The dragon flew into the air of the classroom, hitting his head on the ceiling, and falling immediately unconscious. __

Waking up sore in a bed in the hospital wing was one thing, waking up on the damp grass of the quidditch pitch was another. Another thing was to wake up with greyscale vision in a classroom, looking up at a bemused McGonagall. That was the situation which faced Harry as he regained consciousness. "Where am I?" he asked, only to be met by stifled giggles and horrified gasps.

Draco leaned in, an arrogant smirk on his face. Harry remembered why he had hated him so much. "Potter, you imbecile, we can't understand you." Harry frowned, and several of the students backed away. _Huh?_ Draco,, never seeing the boy who wouldn't die as anything but, leaned in and slapped him hard. It would have hurt, really hurt, but Harry only felt a short thwack. McGonagall was about to approach to reprimand the Slytherin, when he showed a reptilian imprint on his palm from the impact. Harry tried to bring his hand towards his head, but couldn't reach. He looked down. _Oh crap._

After an hour of gruelling corrective treatment, Harry was back as completely human, and in a horrendous mood. He couldn't remember his normal unkissable areas that well, having not bothered to remember them. This was kept a secret from everyone by his healer, a young, slim, cheeky eyed woman who began to have rather colourful images of just how he had managed to memorise his belly button with such accuracy.

"You know," the healer said, making one last check over longer than necessary, "your form is pretty awkward to more around in"

"You know," Harry replied scathingly, "That uniform of yours is not unlike something people would pay to see" She was not amused, and decided that their time was over with a curt, 'it's my job.'

As he left, he was swamped with his eager friends, asking about the Animagi change, and how he managed to crack it. Ron parted the crowds, ears pink with embarrassment at the many compliments directed to his friends, and their amusement at his. Harry and Hermione noticed this, and managed to lose the crowds by locking themselves in Harry's dorm room.

"What..." asked Harry as he lay down on his bed, leaving his couch to the other two, "Was that?"

"That," Hermione began, sitting down delicately and trying not to wonder what had happened on the cushions under her, "was the excitement you caused with your form."

Harry put his head in his hands, "It's not that unusual, is it?"

Ron eagerly jumped in; for once sure of an answer Hermione didn't have at the tip of her tongue. "Bloody hell, mate, are you daft? Animagi are usually normal animals, I mean, look at McG, she's a cat! Wizards with magical creatures are really rare, and really powerful." He screwed his face up in disgust, "how that prat Malfoy managed to get a unicorn, a black one at that... His father must be...."

At Draco's name, Harry smiled to himself. It fit the Slytherin, whatever Ron said. Hermione coughed and gave him a pointed look. He blanked his face, dutifully replying with, "yeah, imagine that.."

Ron, who took this as encouragement, began, "You know, while he was working with you, he could have found a way to take power from you, make you weaker, steal your magic, I wouldn't put it past him."

Harry sat up seriously, fuming at the accusations against the boy, "Draco is nice enough when you get to know him!"

"Dray – Ko ?" Ron spluttered, face like a tomato. Hermione put her head in her hands.

_Whoops..._


End file.
